


Undrowned

by AbsintheNightmare



Series: Undrowned [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Background Poly!ATEEZ, Fictional Religious Imagery, M/M, Sea Monsters, Supernatural Elements, Tasteful Tentacles, Treasure Hunt, Yet Another Pirate!AU, some violence, there's like 2½ heists in this fic how did that happen, vaguely historical setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 78,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24570586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsintheNightmare/pseuds/AbsintheNightmare
Summary: Yeosang was supposed to die so that others could live.However, with a ruined ritual in his hands and a dream of a stranger rising from the sea in his mind, he gets picked up by a pirate ship with an oddly small crew and a missing quartermaster.Instead of the universe claiming his life, Yeosang starts to think he may have instead been claimed by someone, or something else.
Relationships: Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Undrowned [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775938
Comments: 245
Kudos: 420





	1. In which pirates discover a stranger on a beach

**Author's Note:**

> Another pirate AU in a fandom full of pirate AUs? Well, no one has ever blamed me for being original. 
> 
> This work is a follow-up to Spark Claimed, so reading that is recommended, as it explains Yeosang's situation much better. Don't worry, that one isn't very long.
> 
> First chapter seems to always be the hardest, and it shows. Hope you enjoy regardless!

”Captain? There’s a tiny island up ahead.”

Hongjoong raised his head, tearing his eyes off the papers and another ship’s logbook on his desk and directed his gaze at the tall figure standing at the cabin’s door. A tiny island wouldn’t be something to specifically alert him about if there wasn’t something significant about it. They passed one every now and then, not paying attention as there usually was no reason to make a stop. 

”And?” he inquired, nodding at Yunho to explain. His first mate usually took care of running the ship every time he holed himself up into his cabin to focus on other matters, such as potentially valuable documents found on a recently raided ship. 

”San thought it has a strange air about it and told me to tell you”, Yunho shrugged.  
”No idea what he meant by that.”

Hongjoong didn’t bother hiding his eyes rolling. Of course. There was a solid chance it was nothing but their lookout making up things and having Yunho run around for his own amusement. Then again, Hongjoong shifted in his chair and his body saw fit to remind him he had been hunching over these papers with a terrible posture for the whole day. He could humor San this time, and potentially punish him if it turned out he was interrupting his work over nothing.

”Let’s see it then”, he said and stood up, stretching his limbs.   
”How far are we?”

”Not that far”, Yunho informed as they walked out of the cabin.  
”We’ll reach it in minutes.”

They walked up to the deck, Hongjoong adjusting his hat to protect his eyes as the sunlight assaulted his vision. So much brighter than the light provided by a lantern and a small window in his cabin where he had spent most of the day. He reached the railing and leaned to look up ahead. Light footsteps told him another of his crew had joined him and Yunho. 

”There’s a small building on it”, San informed.  
”Looks a bit strange, though, not something you would live in. It’s not a place you survive on for long. Just thought it was weird.”

Nothing but his crewman’s regular curiosity, then, but he was willing to humor him. Hongjoong was about to request a spyglass when it was already pressed into his open palm, Yunho clearly having thought ahead. He raised it to his eye, squinting the other one shut. 

The island was indeed tiny, and just as San had already observed, not one a man could survive on for long. Some beach and mostly stones, not a single tree in sight, which meant no shelter and no food. But there was that tiny, stone building San had also mentioned, and through the spyglass he could see the circle of smooth, round stones surrounding it. Something clicked in his head. He was certain he had heard of a place like this before.

”It’s a temple”, Hongjoong said, suddenly remembering stories he had heard, tales recounted to him.  
”A place of worship.”

San leaned over the railing, squinting his eyes as he tried to get a closer look as well.

”No wonder it seemed so weird”, he mused.  
”Who builds a temple in a middle of nowhere? Do you think there’s anything of value?”

”Doesn’t seem like it”, Yunho sounded skeptical.  
”It’s too small to really hold anything, and that’s the kind of place everyone and their mother has already looted twice.”

He was probably right, if there ever even had been anything valuable on the island in the first place. Hongjoong had directed the spyglass away from the temple itself, scanning through the beach instead. Then he spotted it. A figure laying on the sand, pushed ashore by the waves. He lifted the spyglass away from his face.

”Let’s go have a closer look”, he said, ignoring Yunho’s confused frown. The first mate was obviously about to question him, but was interrupted by San. Their keen-eyed friend had noticed the same as Hongjoong.

”Hey, there’s someone down there!”

Hongjoong hadn’t expected all of the others to join him as he got to the island, but it seemed his crew was just as curious as he was. As Mingi and Jongho brought their rowing boat to the shore, San and Wooyoung had already bounced out, landing in to the shallow water. And splashing it on each other. Hongjoong ducked behind Mingi to dodge Wooyoung’s rapid fire revenge as San had managed to get his hair soaked.

”Enough!” he raised his voice.  
”Can you behave yourselves for once in your lives?”

The grins on both of the brats’ faces told him there was no chance, but at least they stopped splashing water on everyone.

”But captaiiin”, Wooyoung chirped, flashing his sweet smile that could get him out of trouble most of the time - when it wasn’t directed at Hongjoong who could easily see through his cute act.  
”If we behave now, what will you do when you really need us to behave later?”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

”Wooyoung, how about instead of being a brat you will go and see whether the poor bastard on the shore is alive or not?”

Surprisingly, Wooyoung did put up his serious face and Hongjoong watched as he joined San, running along the beach towards the figure. The rest of them followed. 

”So, captain?” Yunho had once again joined his side, as Mingi and Jongho walked past them to catch up the other two.   
”Do you know this island? Or why are we stopping here?”

Hongjoong looked around. The temple and the stone circle were located on a slightly higher ground, but could be reached easily. 

”I’ve heard of the place”, he admitted.  
”So I guess I’m just curious.”

It was mostly true, but when he had seen the figure on the beach, he had been struck with a feeling that he should come to the island. It was hard to explain, Hongjoong didn’t seem to have words for it, but Yunho didn’t push further, which he was grateful of.

They quickly reached the other four, who had just stopped in their tracks.

”Whoa”, Mingi let out a surprised noise as all of them finally laid eyes on the person laying in front of them. Hongjoong could easily understand why. 

The boy was beautiful, one of those pretty faces usually reserved for fairy tale princes, with a birthmark adorning his left temple and blond hair sticking to his forehead. His face was peaceful, obviously unconscious, Hongjoong thought. For how long he’d been that way, he couldn’t say. He was dressed in simple white clothing, with short sleeves and the fabric rendered see-through thanks to being soaked, completely useless if one wished to preserve their modesty. This detail seemed to interest the crew as well, of course it did, their eyes shamelessly tracing his form. 

”Poor guy”, San quipped as he crouched down next to the unconscious boy. Jongho, standing close to him, followed suit.  


”What is he even doing in here?”

Hongjoong peered at the temple once more and recalled what he had heard in several towns. The temples devoted to worship of Holy Light or something like that, he had never been that interested to remember the actual names. However, what he did remember were the tales of a certain branch in one land that had a tradition of sacrifice going on for them.

”This is some kind of sacred island”, he said.  
”He was sent here to die.”

”Doesn’t seem to have worked out for him”, Jongho chuckled, his fingers on the boy’s pulse.

”He’s breathing?” Yunho raised his eyebrows, surprised.

”He sure is.”

Hongjoong eyed him once more with care. It was then that he noticed other markings. The boy had his birthmark near the eye, yes, but there were other marks on both of his arms. Light shade of gray, starting from the wrists, circling around the arms like a rope, ending somewhere near the elbows. Most curious. He nudged Wooyoung out of the way and knelt down, reaching out to touch the marks.

”So he’s like a... human sacrifice?” Mingi asked.  
”They just send someone to die on an island?”

”And then what? He’s just supposed to hang out in here and starve to death? That’s fucked up”, San grimaced.

”What do we do with him?” Wooyoung asked, for once completely serious. Hongjoong finally lifted his gaze from the unconscious boy’s arms. The answer was simple.

”Bring him to the ship.”

-

Doors closing, clanking, distant footsteps. Several noises blurring into an incomprehensible mess.

”Hey, are you with us yet?”

The voice sounded muted, like it came from far away, or there were several layers between it and him. Was it even talking to him? When was the last time someone talked to him?

His eyelids felt so heavy, even cracking them open slightly felt like an impossible challenge. But someone was tapping his cheek, right beside him, very insistently. 

Yeosang drew a shaky breath, vaguely realizing how parched his throat was. How his mouth lacked moisture, and how much he was craving it. He let out a dry cough.

”Hey, you awake?” the voice asked again, this time actually at his ear, as the poking resumed. Yeosang struggled to open his eyes, managing to finally crack one of them open. Not that it really helped him see anything. Wherever he was, it was dark, a small light flickering somewhere farther away. And an unclear figure looming over him. He was pretty sure it had a face, but he couldn’t make out any features. Yeosang breathed in again, and it was just as painful as before. 

”Oh, right.”

Shuffling noises, a few clangs, a sound of liquid being poured. And then there was an edge of a cup on his mouth, insistently shoving in to part his lips. A drop of water had never felt so good as it did now when it met Yeosang’s tongue.

”Drink.”

He didn’t even need to be told that, the action came on instinct. The person he was quite sure was a man tilted the cup and helped him as he drank the water offered to him. It was over all too soon for Yeosang’s taste, and thankfully he was offered a second cup as well. 

”Captain said not too much, I think that’s enough for you not to die on me”, the man said, while Yeosang’s eyes slipped shut again. Now that water wasn’t his first thought, he realized how exhausted he was. The few days on the island had drained him completely...

On the island…

He was supposed to be on the island. To stay there, die there.

Yeosang jolted, suddenly feeling very, very awake.

This was  _ not _ the island.

  
  



	2. In which Yeosang wakes up on a ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A surprisingly quick update for a procrastinator like me. Must be sorcery. 
> 
> Thank you for comments and kudos I got on the first chapter, they made me so happy! Hope you like this chapter as well!

Yeosang snapped his eyes open, his heart racing. He wasn’t on the island anymore. Of that he was sure. There was no way. Islands didn’t faintly sway beneath him as he laid down. What really drove it home, however, was the smell. It wasn’t the overwhelming aroma of salty seawater anymore, pushing into his nose and nearly suffocating him. This was different, a mix of several scents, wood, lantern oil and something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. And yes, the seawater was still there, but much more faint than it had been for the last few days...

The sight of a wooden ceiling greeted him. Where was he? His whole body seemed to weigh a ton, but Yeosang managed to drag himself to a sitting position on a bed he’d been laying on. The moist clothes stuck to his skin, making him shift in discomfort.

”Well look at you, finally you’re moving.”

Yeosang jumped in surprise, turning his head towards the voice. Beside him, by the bed, sat a dark-haired young man around his age. The grin on his face was slightly mischievous, though Yeosang didn’t think there was any malice in it. But it did confuse him nonetheless. Who was this man? And where was he?

”So”, the man leaned in a little closer, his eyes full of curiosity Yeosang felt wouldn’t ever be sated in a lifetime.  
”What’s your name? I’m Wooyoung, by the way, nice to meet you.”

It was a normal question to ask when meeting a new person but still Yeosang felt like he should be the one asking anything in this situation. After all, it was obviously him who was in a strange spot, whereas this man, Wooyoung as he had introduced himself, seemed quite comfortable and aware of what was going on.

”Yeosang”, he ended up telling his name, Wooyoung smiling triumphantly as if he had been waiting for him to say anything at all. 

”Um...”

Where to even begin?

”Where am I?” that seemed like a good start. Wooyoung leaned back in his chair, his position relaxed.

”You’re on our ship,  _ Aurora _ ”, he replied. 

A ship... It did explain the strange shifting he vaguely felt beneath him every now and then. Must be the waves. Yeosang had never been on a ship before, just the smaller boat that had transported him to the island. 

The island...

”Why am I here?” Yeosang asked, a cold dread slowly creeping up his spine. He was not supposed to leave. And yet, here he was. He wasn’t sure if Wooyoung sensed his alert state, or if it was visible on his face, but if he did, he wasn’t showing it, remaining as carefree as he had during the whole conversation.

”Well, we sailed by this small weird island, and our captain wanted to stop there because he spotted you on the beach. So we hopped off and when we noticed you’re still alive, he said we should take you with us and then he told me to watch over you and give you water and make sure you’re not going to die”, Wooyoung explained, so fast it took considerable effort for Yeosang’s still slightly disoriented mind to keep up. He blinked slowly, processing the information.

”You landed on the island?” he asked, disbelieving. The island was a sacred ground, only meant for the Spark, not for some sailors’ picnic spot. For them to simply land there and probably search the temple as well felt like a violation. 

”Well, obviously, since we picked you up”, Wooyoung chuckled.

”That’s a sacred place, you know?” Yeosang frowned, but the sailor didn’t seem to care, remaining just as unconcerned and relaxed as he’d been the whole time.

”Well, we took a walk there and even stepped inside the temple for a while and I don’t feel particularly cursed, so I’m pretty sure I’ll live”, he grinned, playing with his sleeves.  
”Is it true that they sent you to die there? That somewhere they just decide to sacrifice virgins on a remote island for a good harvest or something?”

”That’s not it”, Yeosang snapped, somewhat offended by the assumption and the ignorance displayed by the other. He still tried to keep the agitation out of his voice, with mixed success.  
”I am their Spark, I’m supposed to give my life in exchange for theirs, to give others life.”

Except that this time it couldn’t happen. Yeosang suddenly remembered his days on the island-

”Well, looks like there was a change in that plan this time.”

Another voice joined their conversation, making Yeosang jump again as he turned to face the door of the cabin. From the corner of his eye he saw Wooyoung doing the same, though he didn’t seem nearly as surprised. 

”Hello there, captain”, he greeted, with that same carefree grin. Yeosang frowned. So this was the captain. He had seen some sailors during his life, some used to visit the temple he had been raised in. The man Wooyoung had addressed as captain looked nothing like those men. He was short, for starters, around the same height as Yeosang himself, his hat and its’ dark feathers giving him a little extra height. Other than that hat, the captain seemed to otherwise favor bright colors in his clothes. As the light from outside hit his face, Yeosang noticed the glimmer of several earrings. 

The captain was a sight he had never witnessed before. What kind of a ship had he ended up on?

”Wooyoung”, the captain called as he stepped inside the cabin.  
”How about you let me and our guest have a little chat? In private.”

Wooyoung stood up, looking at Yeosang somewhat unwillingly - he still was curious about him, Yeosang guessed - but nodded anyway.

”And since you have nothing better to do, go get him some food so he won’t starve to death instead of distracting San”, the captain added as his crew member made his way to the door. Wooyoung’s lips, very prone to smiling as Yeosang had witnessed, curved upwards again, in a teasing manner.

”I was going to go for Mingi this time, but sure”, he laughed.  
”And I think Yeosang here needs some clothes too, don’t you think, captain? Unless you prefer him running around practically naked, I’m sure we won’t mind.”

Yeosang had mostly managed to ignore the discomfort of moist clothing sticking into the skin, but it was at this point that he noticed how see-through the moisture had made the fabric, barely covering anything. Heat rushed to his cheeks. The captain seemed unbothered, waving his hand at Wooyoung approvingly, as the man disappeared, running off to some other part of the ship and leaving them alone in the cabin.

Yeosang found it hard not to squirm under the gaze of this man. Just like Wooyoung’s, it was curious but in a different sense. Less of that youthful innocence and a lot more of something else he couldn’t really name, but what he did know was that the captain was intrigued. For now, at least. And his recently realized near-naked state certainly didn’t help, even if the captain was courteous enough to keep his eyes up, directed at his face.

”You woke up quicker than I expected”, the captain stated, pulling up the chair and taking his seat by the bed.  
”How long were you on that island?”

The fact that his clothes weren’t dry yet had to mean he hadn’t been here for long, Yeosang realized. Which meant they _ just now _ had sailed past the island and swept him up with them.

”Three days, I think? I’m not sure how long I was unconscious”, he said. He did however remember what he had done on the first two days. He had performed the necessary steps for the ritual he was sent there for. Offered what he had to, said his prayers diligently. And then-

He suddenly remembered how everything had gone horribly wrong.

The captain mercifully distracted him before he got to dwell on it any further.

”Yeosang, right? I’m Kim Hongjoong, the captain of  _ Aurora _ ” he introduced himself.  
”I presume Wooyoung explained that we picked you up while sailing by that island.”

”You realize that’s not a place for just some sailors, right?” Yeosang still couldn’t help but feel a little offended by the fact that these men had just waltzed there without a care in the world.

”Good thing we’re not ’just some sailors’ then, isn’t it?” Hongjoong’s lips curved slightly upwards, but it wasn’t really a smile. The man was definitely amused, though, Yeosang could see that.  
”But, you are from the temples of Holy Light, aren’t you? I have heard of the practice of sending a human sacrifice every now and then.”

”A Spark”, Yeosang corrected.

”Whatever. Doesn’t exactly sound healthy to me.”

”What would you know?”

Yeosang didn’t like the captain’s attitude. Here he had hoped he would have been distracted from his failure but he just had to bring the subject back to the island. Hongjoong leaned forward in his chair, eying him carefully.

”Well, did you do what you were supposed to do?”

Yeosang lowered his gaze to his lap, not answering. 

Everything had gone wrong, and even if he wasn’t at fault, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. He couldn’t complete the ritual. Everything had started off smoothly, but when it was time to continue by taking care of the previous Spark, that very same person had ruined everything for him. Yeosang was amazed by how much it was possible to hate someone he had never met, someone who by all accounts should have died before he was even born, but likely hadn’t. He was convinced his predecessor hadn’t completed the ritual either. 

”You didn’t, did you?” Hongjoong prompted him again. Yeosang’s nails dug lightly into his thighs.

”Well, seeing as you took me away from there, I didn’t exactly have enough time to die, did I?” he muttered.

”True. However, you took so long to answer that it seems like something went wrong before we interfered.”

Yeosang had been taught not to curse, those weren’t supposed to be part of his vocabulary. However, even when one lived his life in a temple, he couldn’t avoid learning some. And now he used them to internally curse this damn captain who was too damn perceptive. Or himself, for being too easy to read.

Before he could tell the truth, Hongjoong continued.

”You’re obviously not ready to die yet.”

That finally made Yeosang raise his eyes from his lap, back to the other man. 

”Why wouldn’t I be?” he challenged.  
”I’ve literally been raised to die. I was ready.”

”Then explain to me how you’re not dead”, Hongjoong urged.  
”There was a knife at the temple, wasn’t there? We checked. If you were so keen to die, why not just end it quickly instead of slowly withering away from dehydration and starvation?”

Yeosang opened his mouth, then closed it. The ritual knife was for an offering, not for stabbing himself to death.

”Or, since you were surrounded by water, why not lie down and let it fill your lungs? A slow and no doubt horrifying way to die, but it would get the job done”, Hongjoong continued on with a poignant stare.  
”And yet there was only the tiniest stain on the knife, and we found you simply unconscious and breathing on the sand.”

”Shut up”, Yeosang grumbled.

”And even after we found you there still was a chance for you to die. You could simply have refused the drink Wooyoung gave you.”

Hongjoong reached closer with his hand, his fingers lightly curling around Yeosang’s throat. Yeosang flinched back, quickly swatting the intruding hand away.

”What are you doing?” he hissed, alarmed. The captain’s face remained calm, the hand returning back to his lap.

”Or, you could have just let me press right now, slowly choke the life out of you. Instead you fought back right away. And you’re saying you were ready to die, Yeosang?”

Yeosang felt the childish urge to pout. 

”What are you expecting, a thank you?” he huffed.  
”Even if I wasn’t ready to die, it’s not like I have much choice.”

He had no home to return to. There was no way he could go back to the temple, not when he had failed his duty, returning from a journey no one was supposed to return from. There was no telling what would happen then, but he sure wasn’t keen to find out. And there was no other place to go either.

”Well, I wouldn’t mind a thank you”, Hongjoong chuckled.  
”Seeing as I did save your life and I’m kind enough to let you travel with us. Unless you prefer that we’d just throw you to the sharks?”

Yeosang couldn’t help the snort escaping from him.

”You’re kind of terrible at negotiating, you know that?” he said. At that Hongjoong let out an amused laugh.

”Not my strongest suit, I’ll admit that”, he grinned.  
”We’re not exactly negotiating though, are we? I’m simply making an offer. We could use an extra pair of hands - not that your little paws are exactly that helpful at least for now, given that you’ve obviously never really worked in your life.”

”You really shouldn’t be talking about little hands, seeing as your hands are smaller than mine”, Yeosang pointed out.

”Watch your attitude, Yeosang”, Hongjoong’s lips were still curved into a smile, but his eyes had sharpened, voice laced with authority.  
”I’m the friendliest face in the world for you right now, and you want to keep it that way. After all, I don’t suppose a person who was supposed to be sacrificed so that other people would stay safe and healthy is exactly welcome in many places after failing to do their job? The temples of Holy Light have spread quite far and wide these days, as you surely know.”

He was right, Yeosang did know that. He remembered how busy many of the priests had been with communicating with other temples, sending letters to faraway lands. How there had been visitors, devout servants of Holy Light, ones that traveled to meet the High Priest, to get a glimpse of  _ him _ , the new Spark, before he would be sent away for his mission. Not that many had actually seen him but there were some, who would know what he looked like.

He truly didn’t have many options, did he? But suddenly death didn’t seem like the only plausible one.

”Will you...” he started, unsure.   
”Will you keep me safe, then?”

The captain looked at him for a while, as if he was thinking something real hard. For what, Yeosang had no idea.

”If you join my crew, I’ll do my best to keep you safe, and teach you how to protect yourself”, he finally replied.  
”As safe as a pirate can be, anyway.”

Yeosang blinked. A pirate. This man was  _ a pirate _ . He was on a pirate ship. 

Hongjoong chuckled.

”You seem surprised.”

”Well you can’t exactly blame me. It’s not like I’ve met pirates before”, Yeosang huffed.

”Ah yes, raised in a barrel, forgot about that.”

”Temple.”

”There isn’t much difference, is there?”

”You’re an asshole, captain Hongjoong.”

”I told you, watch your attitude”, Hongjoong reminded, but he smiled again, leaning back in his chair.  
”Anyway, in a way it is probably the safest option for you to stick with us. Easier to disappear among thieves and all that.”

Yeosang wasn’t too sure, but he didn’t exactly have any good arguments against that. It’s not like he knew much about disappearing, or thieves for that matter.

Hongjoong clapped his hands together.

”It’s settled, then”, he said, satisfied.  
”You can rest here for tonight, Wooyoung will bring you food and hopefully also that change of clothes. I’ll have someone babysit you tomorrow and teach you the ropes.”

He stood up and left for the door, Yeosang’s eyes following him. Some words wormed their way out of his throat, on the tip of his tongue. He decided to let them out.

”... thank you, captain.”

Hongjoong turned around. A small smile rested on his face.

”Welcome aboard, Yeosang.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I've said somewhere that my writing tends to be heavy on the dialogue? This is what I meant.


	3. In which Yeosang meets the crew and cleans the deck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was about 2.5k words long when I sat down to finish it today. For some reason there's an additional 1k now.   
> I feel like I'm being unusually quick with these chapters, looks like we're getting through the introductory fluff soon.

It wasn’t the easiest night to sleep through, thanks to the ship’s movements. According to Wooyoung, the night had been calm. Yeosang didn’t want to know how it would be like when they’d sail through a storm, even though it was something he would sooner or later experience. Since he would be staying with the pirate crew, at least for now. 

It didn’t sound like an ideal path to take, but it was the one Yeosang was offered at the moment. He was used to not having much say in his own fate anyway. 

The movements weren’t the only reason he had trouble sleeping. Yeosang found himself waking up several times during the night from a strange dream. He didn’t usually remember his dreams. They would stay in his mind for a minute or two after waking up but if asked, he couldn’t recall them later. It was mostly the case this time as well, but what little he did remember was someone insistently trying to drag him underwater. Yet it curiously didn’t feel like a nightmare, even if he had startled awake every time his head finally had submerged. 

”Look at that, you almost look like a sailor already”, Wooyoung smiled, satisfied as he looked at his new outfit. That the man himself had picked for him. It seemed like there were several members in the crew that were around the same size as Yeosang was, so it hadn’t been very hard to get him a new set of clothing. It was nothing extravagant, clearly meant for work. But damn if it didn’t feel good to wear shoes again. The heated sands and rocks of the island had been horrible to walk on with bare feet, burning his soles. 

As Yeosang finally, for the first time, made his way to the deck with Wooyoung, he put together some things he had learned about the other man in the short time he’d been exposed to him.

Wooyoung was a sweet person, that was clear, and endlessly curious, even if Yeosang had his suspicions that he was holding back quite a bit. But above everything else, he was  _ noisy _ . A chatterbox. And if he wasn’t talking, he was simply making other loud noises with no purpose, or laughing his head off. It was a very cute laugh though, Yeosang had to admit that. But loud nonetheless. 

”So, you really lived your whole life in a temple?” Wooyoung asked, and he nodded.  
”Wow. What about your family?”

”I never knew them”, Yeosang explained.  
”I was chosen when my mom was expecting, and the temple took me in pretty much right after I was born.”

”And they never protested, even if their baby was taken away?” Wooyoung frowned.

”Not that I know of. And well, giving birth to the new Spark is considered an honor, so why would they?”

To that Wooyoung didn’t have a follow-up, so they continued up the stairs, finally at the deck. Yeosang felt the salty aroma of the sea assault his system once again. It was mercifully accompanied with a nice wind, making it easier to breathe. From his spot he could see the sea on all their sides, with no land in sight. On the boat ride to the island he had found that slightly intimidating, but it didn’t feel like that now when he stood on deck of a bigger ship. 

On a ship that had just a few people working on deck, it seemed. Sure,  _ Aurora _ didn’t look like the biggest vessel that had ever sailed the seas but even to Yeosang, who knew next to nothing about sailing, the lack of people struck him as odd.

”How large is the crew?” he asked.

”Well, now that you’re here, that makes seven of us”, Wooyoung replied and looked up at the mast. Yeosang followed along, just in time to see someone slide down on a rope, landing in front of them gracefully. There was something cat-like in the man’s features and movements, but it was eclipsed by a very sweet smile he sent at them both.

”Taking care of our baby, Wooyoung?” he asked with mischief that didn’t suit the cute expression at all. 

”I’m pretty sure I’m older than both of you”, Yeosang muttered but it was lost under Wooyoung’s enthusiastic confirmation. Instead he spent the moment looking at this new man’s hair, otherwise dark but with a white stripe on a side. A sign of stress, perhaps? It seemed unlikely, given his first impression. 

”So, are you busy, San? Or do you want to help me to introduce everything to Yeosang?” Wooyoung beamed. 

”I’ll always have time for you, sweetheart. And for pretty newcomers as well”, San assured with a wink. Yeosang shifted. He was used to being called pretty, it was usually the first thing everyone said after a greeting when they first met him. But most people didn’t look at him like they were getting ready to seduce him. 

"You said there are only six of you, captain included?" Yeosang questioned.   
"Doesn't it require more people to run a ship?"

"Not really", Wooyoung shrugged.   
"Six is enough for that. It's a pretty big workload but we can manage, and we usually take turns with different tasks so anyone of us can do pretty much anything."

"But.." Yeosang frowned, waving his hands in his confusion.   
"How will you plunder a ship with just six people? Or what if you get attacked?"

"Ah, don't you worry about that", San and Wooyoung grinned at him in unison like they were sharing an amazing secret Yeosang wasn't privy to just yet.

"In those cases our captain will whip out his secret weapon", San's tone and smile were enigmatic, however Wooyoung let out an amused snort.

"Is that what he calls his dick these days?"

"The other weapon", San clarified, giggling along with his friend.   
"Though maybe you should suggest him to try that next time..."

Yeosang was pretty certain he was missing something here, but didn’t question, as Wooyoung and San rushed forward, dragging him along. 

They did indeed introduce him to a lot of basic tasks that they would have to do every day. Yeosang suspected a lot of them would prove difficult at first. He did not exactly have much experience of any work that was physically demanding - something that Wooyoung also noted. 

”You’ll get there eventually”, he encouraged.   
”It’s a hands-on learning experience!”

”Or I’ll just end up laying useless on the floor”, Yeosang replied. The other was probably right, though.

”We could then use you as a mop”, San chuckled.   
”It would ruin your pretty face, though. Speaking of, cleanup duty it is for you.”

Wooyoung giggled.

”Are we seriously pushing him into the most cliched newbie job there is?”

”Why not? At least it’s something he has done before”, San glanced at Yeosang, his confidence slightly wavering as the sentence went on.   
”Right? Or have the sacrificial virgins been banned from all work?”

”I have cleaned before!” Yeosang huffed, feeling his ears heating up and his face flushing.   
”I wasn’t some pet who had to just sit there and look pretty. And I’m not sure if it’s an actual requirement for a Spark to be a...”

His voice faded out as he realized his mistake. A little too late, as Wooyoung’s and San’s faces lit up like they had been given a free entry to a treasure vault. 

”Oooooh, so does that mean you had a boyfriend? Or girlfriend, whatever you’re into?” Wooyoung pushed close with a teasing tone usually reserved for children. Yeosang took a breath, willing any embarrassment away. There was no reason for him to feel such, was there? 

”Nope. There’s not exactly a lot of privacy in a temple, you know? And everyone was pretty unwilling to let me out of their sights”, he explained. 

”You’re telling me that you’re this pretty and absolutely no one managed to sneak up to your bedroom even once?” San gasped in feigned shock. Yeosang responded with a nonchalant shrug.

”The security was pretty heavy.”

San didn’t let go of the dramatics, leaning on Wooyoung’s shoulder as if his legs were about to give up.

”Woo, do you understand what this means? He’s an untouched treasure! An unmarked territory!”

Yeosang’s brows furrowed slightly. San’s interest suddenly made a lot of sense.

”Dial down the horny, San, you’re going to creep him out”, a new voice from the upper deck called out. All three heads turned up to look at a tall blonde man standing above them, leaning on the railing. Yeosang decided immediately that he liked the man’s smile, there was something warm and adorable in it. 

”I am being very chaste!” San insisted with a grin.

”Yes, and Wooyoung suddenly has an indoor voice.”

” _Hey!_ ”

Yeosang hid his chuckle into his sleeve when the tall pirate turned to address him.

”Are you settling in well, Yeosang?” he asked.

”I don’t think I’m going to jump off immediately at least”, Yeosang said slowly and was rewarded with that very cute smile. 

”That’s good. I’m Yunho, the first mate, so if you have to ask something, you should probably come to me. I have no idea why the captain decided to let a literal baby look after you...”

”Jongho’s the baby!” Wooyoung interrupted.

”Yet you act like one”, San poked his cheek before straightening his posture.   
”Now, where were we?”

”Oh! Yeah! The cleanup duty!”

Yeosang was prepared enough to actually catch the mop and the bucket that were shoved onto him.

He did end up cleaning both the upper and lower deck. It took a while, as he did spend some time during the job watching others do theirs. He watched Yunho on the steering wheel (”We’ll teach you how to steer a ship at some point as well, it’s not going to be a regular thing for you most likely, but you have to know how just in case”, the first mate had said to him while he was mopping beside him). He had met the other two crew members. There was another tall guy, a brunette this time, who had introduced himself as Mingi and who apparently was mostly in charge of all of their weapons. Which made Yeosang remember again that these were pirates he was staying with and that each member of the crew likely had some blood on their hands. He wasn’t sure what to think about that, but he had pushed the thought aside as he had watched Mingi’s slightly goofy expressions and exaggerated claims of enemies he had apparently defeated in a single battle. Yunho had promptly debunked the tale and while admitting that Mingi indeed was a skilled fighter, they usually didn’t even have to get into a fight. How that was possible, Yeosang had no idea. The other crew member, Jongho, was apparently the youngest of them all, but according to Wooyoung, was also the strongest one by far. They had exchanged their greetings and Yeosang had quickly deduced that Jongho seemed to have a somewhat more serious or at least calm personality when compared to the others. 

”And a great singing voice”, Wooyoung had assured.  
”You’ll hear that soon enough.”

Eventually he was done, and in fact quite satisfied with his work. The wood was almost shining in the sunlight. It didn’t take long for Wooyoung to join him once again. 

”I realized I didn’t show you our quarters yet”, he said.   
”We should probably check them out, since you’ll be sleeping there. That last night was just a special treat.”

Yeosang raised his eyebrows questioningly, but followed Wooyoung below the deck, into the crew’s quarters. It didn’t look as comfortable as the cabin he had stayed in, but since the crew was very small, there was at least some space. He noted how several of the bunks were very close to each other, with a few obviously unused ones situated further away. Wooyoung helped him move one a bit so he could claim it for himself.

”Whose cabin was that then? It wasn’t the captain’s, was it?” Yeosang asked and was surprised to see Wooyoung’s face fall a little. The expression was still quite neutral but the ever present smiles and grins were gone.

”Oh that. It is... was, Seonghwa’s cabin”, he replied. It was a name Yeosang hadn’t heard yet. But the past tense told him enough. 

”He was our quartermaster”, Wooyoung explained and Yeosang could easily hear the underlying sadness in his words. Yet he pressed on, lightly but did anyway.

”What happened?” he asked. Wooyoung sighed, sounding almost frustrated.

”That’s the thing, we don’t know what happened”, he said.   
”One day Seonghwa was here, and then he was just gone. No trace, no signs of anything. He wasn’t even on the lookout duty during the night, San should have seen him if he appeared on deck! He straight up vanished.”

Yeosang had expected something more... dramatic. A climactic, if not particularly heroic battle where someone got a good shot, getting washed away by a storm, even succumbing to a plague. Not a person simply being gone one morning without an explanation. Then again, when he thought of that happening... it did sound somewhat haunting. 

”I’m sorry”, he said when he couldn’t come up with anything else.   
”You must miss him a lot?”

He was not comfortable with the sadness on Wooyoung’s face, even if the man’s lips were at least smiling again.

”He was fun to make fun of”, he chuckled.   
”And just awesome in general, he always took care of us. We all miss him, even the captain does, even if he tries to hide it.”

It sounded like an important addition, the captain and Seonghwa must have been close, Yeosang mused. He was relieved when Wooyoung’s expression returned back to the more cheerful, painful memories subsiding. 

”Let’s get back to work, I’m in charge of dinner tonight and you’re going to help me!”

Yeosang felt the tiny wave of dread wash over him as he followed. While cleaning was something he had done at the temple on a regular basis, he had never in his life done any cooking. 

  
  


He survived his first day. And his second night, first night at the crew’s quarters. Some of the others were noisy in their sleep and the ship’s movements felt a lot more prominent, but he woke up at least somewhat refreshed.

Yeosang wasn’t surprised at all when he was mostly assigned to light duties, the others were obviously going easy on him at least for now. It was a little embarrassing but he made a point to work hard. 

However, his work being relatively easy meant he had a lot of time to observe the rest of the crew. 

One of the first things he noticed was that the captain rarely seemed to join them on deck. He did notice Jongho slipping into the captain’s cabin with food and when the youngest had come out, he seemed to have sensed his thoughts.

”He is always like this”, he had said.   
”Especially when we find something that piques his interest. He hauls up in there and has to be dragged out when we need him, and someone has to check that he actually sleeps and eats.”

It seemed odd for a pirate captain to behave in such a way, but Yeosang was certain that Kim Hongjoong had to be somewhat exceptional even by pirate standards. He didn’t ask any questions though. He figured that he would likely get used to everyone’s personal quirks eventually. They were barely past first impressions, after all. 

Another thing he noticed was that the crew seemed very... close. 

Yeosang had not spent much time among common people, and he couldn’t say he was very familiar with how relationships worked. He had seen them of course, wedding ceremonies, couples visiting and such. He had heard a few stories of seduction and passion, and it wasn’t like love and sex had been hushed topics, even if they weren’t usually what was talked about around him. 

Yesterday he had noticed San’s interest in him, it hadn’t been exactly subtle. However, today he did get to observe his behavior around... well, everyone. But mostly Wooyoung. As the day went on, he witnessed the two searching for each other every moment they weren’t working, and sometimes when they were supposed to. Warm, even heated looks were exchanged, words whispered, kisses placed on different body parts that happened to be available in whatever situation they were in. 

It wasn’t just them, however. The others seemed to be very close as well, even if they weren’t showing it as blatantly. But Yeosang didn’t miss the obviously loving glances exchanged between them, or the very casual side hugs Yunho seemed to give to whoever walked close enough. 

He couldn’t hold in his curiosity when he walked in on San and Wooyoung kissing at the crew’s quarters, however.

”Um.”

It took a while before the two even noticed he was in there with them. Either Yeosang’s footsteps were quieter than he thought or the pirates were used to interruptions.

”Oh, did you need something, Yeosang?” Wooyoung didn’t look bothered one bit as he addressed him.

”No, not really”, Yeosang hurriedly said.   
”I just... are you two like... um..”

How to put it? Lovers? That seemed like such a strong word, but it would be fitting.

”Yes”, San answered before he could finish, his fingers absentmindedly playing with Wooyoung’s hair.   
”But we’re not exclusive, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Yeosang frowned, and Wooyoung rushed to fill in the blanks with a smile.

”We love everyone here, you know? There aren’t any exclusive couples, even if Sannie might be the one I usually find myself with”, he said.   
”But everyone else loves us too, so it’s easy to go for anyone for affection when we feel like it.”

”Everyone?” Yeosang briefly wondered if that included Hongjoong as well. The captain did have his own cabin and seemed to mostly stay in there, though. 

”Yep”, San confirmed.   
”Well, except you, since you’re new. But of course, we’re ready to give you some love too.”

He should have expected the offer, but it still caught him a little off guard.

”... you barely know me?” Yeosang felt the need to hide his face, but it seemed like such a childish thing to do.

”What better way there is to get to know you?” San’s laugh was airy, kind of tempting. Yeosang bit his cheek lightly. 

”So is that why you were... flirting, I guess, with me yesterday?” he asked.

”That’s just his normal behavior”, Wooyoung assured.   
”But you  _ are _ really pretty, and we do want to get to know you better.”

It sounded better that way, but still a little overwhelming. 

”Um...”

”Don’t worry”, Hongjoong’s voice called from behind him. Yeosang spun around and sure enough, the captain had actually left his cabin for the first time since their conversation.

”No one is going to force you to get involved with us in that sense”, Hongjoong was leaning into the doorframe, relaxed, holding a tiny box in his other hand.

”We would never unless he wants to! Captain, you’re scaring him off!” San protested. Yeosang did not feel particularly scared off of anything, at least by the captain. 

”Just making sure”, Hongjoong smirked at his crew members. 

”Well, what got you off your desk?” Wooyoung tilted his head questioningly, his eyes drifting at the box in the captain's hand.  
”Do we have a target in sight?”

”We do, which you would know, if you’d been working instead of trying to hump each other in here”, Hongjoong replied, gesturing them all to follow.  
”Let’s go.”

Yeosang followed the captain with San and Wooyoung, they rose up to the deck where Yunho, Mingi and Jongho already stood waiting.

”A merchant ship”, Jongho announced like a ceremony master.  
”Looking real nice and ready for the picking.”

Yeosang felt his mouth go a little dry. They were about to rob a ship. A sudden reminder that he had indeed joined a pirate crew. What was he supposed to do now? 

Hongjoong had walked to the upper deck beside Yunho, who was steering. 

”Well then, are you guys up for a quick plundering?”

The other five cheered. Yeosang leaned against the railing, squinting to see their supposed target. Indeed, another ship was sailing not too far from them. And even from afar he could see that it was a much bigger ship than  _ Aurora _ .

The others had to be mad. This would not end well.

”Full speed ahead then!” Hongjoong ordered.  
”Get ready!”

Yeosang barely had time to blink when the captain had already moved beside him once again.

”Time for you to watch and learn, okay?” Hongjoong said, looking at him expectantly. Yeosang frowned, once again glancing at the merchant ship.

”How are you going to defeat them with a crew of six and one extra?” he asked. At that the captain laughed, spinning the little box in his hands.

”I just said you need to watch and learn. We have a few tricks up our sleeves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My one brain cell: I have no idea what background ships to include here  
> My two other brain cells: All of them.  
> Polyamory it is.
> 
> Your kudos and comments are immensely appreciated, even if I'm not good at answering them!


	4. In which there are... ghosts?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos, you made me so happy! 
> 
> I'm honestly astonished by this update speed, it's been a while since I've gotten writing done this... easily? I'm not complaining though.

They were getting closer,  _ Aurora _ was considerably faster than the merchant ship they were chasing. And with every second Yeosang grew more restless. The others were clearly gearing up for a battle, readying their swords and pistols. Yet no one had even touched a single cannon, despite there being several on deck. They didn’t seem to be expecting a naval battle. Yeosang sneaked closer to Wooyoung.

”What are you going to do?” he asked quietly as he watched the pirate load his pistol. He noticed Wooyoung carried at least three different guns with him, leaving little doubt of what was his weapon of choice.

”Catch them and get to a close distance so we can tell them to roll over and play nice with us, so no one gets hurt”, Wooyoung’s carefree tone and grin felt so out of place, contrasting the tension currently filling Yeosang. 

”Will they do that?” he asked, unsure.

”Surprisingly many will”, Wooyoung shrugged.   
”They’d rather not die, you know? And if they want a fight, captain will make sure they’ll regret it.”

”How exactly?” Yeosang pressed.   
”There are six of you, and I’m not exactly of any help right now!”

Wooyoung didn’t seem one bit concerned, glancing at the upper deck where Yunho was steering the ship with Hongjoong beside him.

”Did you notice the box?”

Yeosang frowned.

”The box?” he repeated. But yes, he had noticed it, now that Wooyoung mentioned it. The captain had been holding a tiny box in his hand, so small that it really couldn’t hold anything than maybe the smallest of jewelry.

”Yep”, Wooyoung sounded almost giddy.   
”That thing holds something that has never failed to help us win a fight. Or avoid one at all, since most people will be scared shitless when it gets opened.”

Yeosang stared for a good while, silent. 

”Then... what’s in it?” he was almost afraid to ask. Wooyoung’s smile turned slightly mischievous.

”You’ll see it, later if not now. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise”, he said as he loaded the last shot in.   
”Try not to scream, though. And don’t worry, you’re part of the crew, they will not hurt you.”

_ They? _

He didn’t get the chance to ask more questions. Yunho instructed him to stay close to the doors of captain’s cabin, mostly out of the immediate sight of the merchant ship’s crew when they’d get close. 

”Just in case someone decides to take a shot, since you don’t have any weapons yet”, the first mate had said.   
”Probably not going to happen, but you can never be too sure.”

Yeosang had taken that advice gladly, but he had managed to drag himself into a spot where he could still see Hongjoong on the upper deck. The whole crew seemed so confident despite the odds being obviously stacked against them, and it tickled Yeosang’s curiosity. He wanted to see what was this secret weapon, or ace in their sleeve, that everyone was speaking of. 

_ Aurora _ finally caught up to the other ship, Yunho steering them close enough to have a conversation that would require a yelling volume and would certainly hurt one’s throat if it dragged on for long. Yeosang peeked from his spot to see the crew on the merchant ship’s deck. There were at least twenty men on board, probably more. He could see a well-dressed older man on the upper deck with a flashy, decorated hat. The captain, no doubt. The looks on the men’s faces were tense, it seemed obvious they were sensing something was off and that they wouldn’t be meeting any friendly faces. At least friendly to them, Yeosang mused. The crew had treated him with nothing but kindness and slight teasing.

He saw Hongjoong stride forward towards the railing with confidence Yeosang could only wish he’d ever have. Those were steps of a man who wanted nothing less than the world itself and was certain he would eventually get it. It was just... mesmerizing. 

”Good day to you, gentlemen!'' Even when he raised his voice loud enough to be heard by all, Hongjoong sounded relaxed. Yeosang couldn’t see the captain’s face himself but he did see the wary looks the other ship’s crew were giving him.

”What do you want?” the merchant ship’s captain didn’t return the greeting, obviously sensing that they weren’t here with good intentions. 

”We’d like you to play nice with us, let us board your ship and take all your valuables”, Hongjoong’s light tone could have easily fooled someone into thinking he was talking about the weather.   
”And if you do as we say, no one gets hurt. How about that?”

Yeosang heard the exclaims of ’pirates!’ going on among the merchant ship’s crew. He looked around at their ship, finding Mingi leaning against the mast, the tall man’s fingers caressing the handle of the sword on his belt. As if itching for a fight, despite everyone's assurances they wouldn’t be getting into one.

”We don’t negotiate with pirates!” the merchant captain shouted, as a few of his men gathered around him, looking worried. For what reason, Yeosang wasn’t sure, but it seemed odd. He heard them muttering something to their captain, but it was hard to tell what, he was way too far away. He could see their faces and postures, however, and it seemed like the crew was way more worried and more inclined to agree to Hongjoong’s demands than their captain.

Hongjoong had leaned against the railing, resting his chin against his palm like he was simply enjoying a beautiful landscape.

”Well?” he prompted. One of the merchant ship’s crew members turned to him with a concerned look.

”Are you... are you Kim Hongjoong?” he asked and Yeosang could hear the silent plea in his voice. _Please don’t be Kim Hongjoong_.

”That would be me, yes”, Hongjoong was no doubt smiling as he said it. The confirmation seemed to alert the crew even more, voices raising and men shifting in their spots with discomfort and even fear. 

”It’s the cursed ship!” someone exclaimed. That seemed to induce some reactions among Aurora’s crew. Yeosang heard Wooyoung’s loud giggling from somewhere, joined by others’ laughs.

”Oh, no no no, you’ve seem to got it all wrong”, even Hongjoong sounded amused.   
”My ship isn’t cursed at all. But, I’m getting impatient here. What is your answer?”

The merchant ship’s captain seemed to find his voice again, seemingly unconcerned by his own crew’s reactions.

”There are six of you! How do you expect to defeat us?” he spat, standing defiant. 

Something changed that moment. Only slightly, but Yeosang could sense it. A small shift in the air, and suddenly it felt like something very important was about to happen. He flinched when suddenly he felt a presence next to him.

”Now, watch closely”, San whispered to him, grinning like a madman. Yeosang frowned, as he directed his gaze back to Hongjoong. And there was it again. The tiny little box in the captain’s hands. Playing with its' cover.

”Actually”, Hongjoong drawled.   
”There are more of us than just six, when needed.”

He slid the box open. 

At first, Yeosang didn’t see anything happen. Then he noticed the faint smoke rising out of the box. It got thicker, formed a bigger cloud. 

Then it was everywhere. He expected it to get into his lungs, but the air was just as easy to breathe as it had been. Instead he watched the smoke take form. Many forms. 

And while he did hear shocked sounds let out from the other ship’s deck, his own voice got stuck in his throat. 

There were significantly more pairs of feet standing on their deck than there had been before. Dozens of men had appeared out of nowhere. And Yeosang suddenly understood what Wooyoung had meant earlier. 

None of these men looked...  _ right _ . There was something about them that didn’t seem quite human, their presence somewhat off. Like they couldn’t be touched like a normal human.

And Yeosang hadn’t even got to the part that these men didn’t seem to be exactly living. On the contrary, it looked like someone had been brought back... in the exact condition they had perished in. Some of them were missing body parts, one man standing close to him looked like he’d been rotting in a dark cave for a good while and would crumble into pieces of flesh and bones if lightly poked with a finger, most of them seemed weirdly bloated. As if every one of them had been dead for years. Yet there they stood, all quiet and waiting. Yeosang realized he’d been holding his breath. 

”To arms!” Hongjoong’s order rang through the air. The... dead men, Yeosang opted to call them that, sprang to action immediately, without making any noise. He saw them march forward, some of them going under the deck, others manning the cannons, getting them ready. The other crew followed their movements with disinterested looks, as if it was something they had witnessed countless times before. Which Yeosang now was sure they had.  _ Something that had helped them to never lose a battle _ , Wooyoung had said. And when he glanced at the merchant ship again, he could easily see why.

The other crew was terrified. Even the captain had lost all shreds of his haughty demeanor, now staring with his mouth open in horror. Hongjoong had stood up straight, his earlier playfulness gone.

”Last chance”, he warned, his tone more serious than Yeosang had ever heard since their first conversation.   
”You can surrender now and give us what we want, or you’ll have my crew to deal with.”

Yeosang didn’t think it was possible to surrender as quickly as the merchant ship's captain did, bellowing out the words. San next to him chuckled.

”Alright”, he said.   
”Time to get to work. You’re with me, Yeosang, we take the stuff others bring to the ship and carry it to the cargo hold.”

They loaded quite a bit of crates into their ship. Yeosang had no idea what was actually in them and he didn’t ask. The dead men were still there, standing around and it made him feel uneasy, even if Wooyoung had assured him they wouldn’t hurt him. Nevertheless it was unsettling to just walk past rotting corpses that for some reason were standing and moving. Thankfully not speaking. Yeosang wasn’t sure that they even could do that. 

It wasn’t until they were done looting the merchant ship and sailed away that Hongjoong walked to the lower deck, closing the small box. And just like that, all the men vaporized back into that strange smoke that had filled the ship earlier. 

”Good work, everyone!” he grinned.   
”We got a lot of good stuff!”

The others cheered. Yeosang sat down on the upper deck stairs, sighing. His first partaking to a plundering hadn’t exactly been what he expected. But in a way he was relieved there hadn’t been any threat to his well-being. 

The captain’s boots entered his vision. Yeosang lifted his chin up to look at the man himself.

”Well, what do you think, newcomer?” Hongjoong asked. The box was still there, he was twirling it without a care in the world. Yeosang felt all the questions flowing onto his tongue, it was hard to let out just one at a time.

”What the fuck was that?'' 

That seemed like a good start. Hongjoong cocked an eyebrow, smirking.

”Our unfairly advantageous secret weapon?” he offered.

” _ What was that _ ?” Yeosang was flailing his hands in a manner that the captain found obviously hilarious, as he burst out laughing.   
”Don’t make fun of me. It’s not like I was expecting to have a pile of rotting guys on my face!”

Hongjoong was still chuckling, even as he waved for him to calm down.

”You see this?” he lifted the box.   
”This holds the souls of some of the poor bastards who have perished at sea. And when I open it, they materialize here, to assist us. I can’t even remember the last time we had to load and fire a cannon ourselves.”

Perished at sea... well that explained the gruesome condition of some of the men at least. Yeosang’s brows furrowed.

”Where did you get that?” he asked.

”A friendly neighborhood sea god gifted it to me”, Hongjoong replied without even blinking.   
”Where else would you think I got it?”

He was being made fun of, that much was clear.

”You stole it”, Yeosang sighed, rolling his eyes.   
”I get it, you’re a pirate, pirates steal things, you thought stealing people’s money and possessions wasn’t enough so you steal the souls of the dead as well...”

”There he goes with the attitude again”, Hongjoong snorted.   
”I won’t tolerate brats on my ship, Yeosang. Remember that.”

Yeosang glanced at Wooyoung and San, who at the moment apparently had taken it upon themselves to team up and play some kind of a prank on unsuspecting Mingi. At least it seemed like that, since they were sneaking up to him with a rope.

He looked back at the captain with a pointed look, nodding at the other three’s direction. 

”You seem to be tolerating several brats on your ship, good captain”, Yeosang said, a tiny smirk forming on his lips. Hongjoong had also noticed what was going on and sighed.

”Exactly. As you can see, I am already looking after three and a half toddlers here, so I don’t need you causing me any more headache”, he said, sounding tired, even as his lips smiled in somewhat grudging appreciation of Yeosang’s sass.

”Three and a half?”

”Jongho can behave and Yunho has his good days, okay? Now, follow me. We need to have a look at something while the others sort the cargo.”

Yeosang heard a surprised, squeaky yell - which didn’t sound very on brand for someone as deep-voiced as Mingi - as he followed Hongjoong to his cabin. It sounded like the prank had been successful, whatever it had been. He didn’t turn to see.

The captain’s cabin was big, actually nicely decorated as well. And a much comfier looking bed than the bunks the rest of the crew slept in, Yeosang noted. He remembered Wooyoung’s and San’s words about the whole crew being... together, and himself wondering whether that included Hongjoong. At least his bed would have been big enough for two...

”Yeosang”, Hongjoong motioned him closer to one of the desks. There were two, one of them covered in books and documents. No doubt the one Hongjoong spent most of his time on. The other wasn’t any more neat, but instead there were maps. Lots of maps overlapping each other, and some tools Yeosang knew were used for navigation.

”Do you know anything about maps?” 

”A little, maybe?” Yeosang shrugged as he approached the desk.   
”Never really had the need to look at them, except for a few times.”

He remembered the High Priest having a few large maps in his study, and Yeosang had sometimes spent a good while just admiring them, as many of them were adorned with detailed illustrations where there were no precise markings filling that particular spot. 

”I wouldn’t mind having someone helping with navigation”, Hongjoong said as they both hunched over the map that was spread open.   
”The others don’t really have the attention span for it, or they’re better at other jobs and I can easily train you for this, at least I hope so. I used to have Seonghwa do it for me, since he was the best at it.”

There was that name again. Seonghwa, the disappeared quartermaster. Brought up way more casually than Wooyoung had, Yeosang noticed. And with the assumption that he had already weeded out the necessary information from someone else. Did the captain hear everything that went on in his ship?

”Your quartermaster?” he said anyway, with Hongjoong nodding with a small smile on his lips. 

”He could navigate us through anything”, he chuckled.   
”Best helmsman on this ship, too. He maneuvered us through a lot of reefs and shoals more than once.”

Yeosang wasn’t sure if they were exaggerating the deeds of a perished man or if it was possible for someone to be that perfect. 

”I don’t think it’s possible for me to replace someone like him”, he said quietly, focusing on the map. He had no idea where they were supposed to be.

”You’re not replacing anyone. Just learn to navigate and we’re good.”

Yeosang raised his head to look at the captain, who was still looking at the maps, likely tracing their route. His curiosity got the better of him.

”Wooyoung said Seonghwa just disappeared one day?” he prompted.

Hongjoong stilled, before raising his head to look at him. There was a strange look in his eyes, one that Yeosang couldn’t really interpret. Had he pried too far? Not everyone might be comfortable talking about it, and it seemed Hongjoong and Seonghwa had been close...

”He did. No one saw him leave, and the boats were still there in the morning when we noticed he was gone”, something in his tone sounded guarded, like he wanted to say more but stopped himself.   
”And...”

Yeosang watched intently as Hongjoong seemed to fight an inner struggle of what to tell him. 

”And?” he pressed, too curious to leave it at that.

”Well... call me crazy, but I don’t think he’s dead, even if others mourned him for a good while, they’ve just recently seemed to have gotten over it”, Hongjoong slowly replied. Yeosang cocked his head to the side with a questioning look.

”What makes you think he’s not dead?” he asked, causing the captain to chuckle again, as if he acknowledged the thought was stupid. 

”It’s more of a feeling, but even then, I just think Seonghwa couldn’t die at sea even if he tried”, he explained, smiling fondly.   
”Sometimes you just meet people like that. Could just be me missing him so bad, of course.”

That much was certain, Hongjoong obviously missed his quartermaster, Yeosang reasoned. And sometimes it was hard to get over someone’s death, even months later. Speaking of...

”When did he disappear, then?” he asked. It sounded somewhat... recent.

”I think it was around three or four months ago”, Hongjoong furrowed his brows.  
”Not quite sure, time goes by fast when you’re at sea.”

No doubt about that, the days on the ship seemed like they would pass quickly. Yeosang tried to remember what he was doing three months ago. He could remember the ceremony held in the temple gardens, among the blooming apple trees, in celebration of summer arriving. No longer than a month ago? It had been the last ceremony he had taken part in before leaving for the island. The weeks after the celebration had been spent preparing him for the journey, and just doing his usual routines at the temple. He remembered sneaking out to the shore quite a few times. It had been his quiet spot, the small cliffs close by that were easy to access from the temple but difficult from anywhere else. A perfect place when he wanted to get away from everyone for a little while.

Yeosang was dragged away from his thoughts by Hongjoong, who poked him with a rolled map. 

”Focus, little brat”, he said with no real malice.   
”I’m making a navigator out of you, and I’m not going to explain these things twice.”

”I am very focused, sir. Looking at the map and everything”, Yeosang couldn’t help himself.   
”Waiting to be instructed by the great captain himself and absorb all his knowledge.”

”Brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a scale of one to eleven, how obvious is it that I recently rewatched all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies?


	5. In which Yeosang has friends and falls overboard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't go quite as I first thought, a few things just wrote themselves...
> 
> I'm also annoyed that I didn't know the concept of "sea legs" until today, when my best friend informed me about it. 
> 
> Thank you again for your comments and kudos, hope you enjoy this chapter!

”Let’s do that again!”

This was going to be a long day.

”You need to hold it differently. Like this.”

A  _ long _ day.

”Oh shit- sorry, didn’t mean to do that... okay, we really need to teach you how to block first. Can you get up?”

A  _ long, painful _ day.

Yeosang scrambled back onto his feet, gripping the sword he’d been given and breathing heavily. And trying not to feel embarrassed under the two concerned gazes directed at him. 

After giving him the lesson in mapping and navigating, Hongjoong had decided that Yeosang would have to learn how to defend himself as soon as possible. And that was how he now found himself with Mingi and Jongho, them trying their best to teach him how to use a sword and not get his ass handed to him. The latter seemed to happen anyway despite their best efforts, seeing as Mingi had just knocked him down.

They hadn’t been at it for long and he already felt exhausted, ready to quit. 

”You really haven’t used a sword before, have you?” Mingi asked.

”Why would I have?” Yeosang struggled a little to keep his voice neutral instead of snapping and taking his frustration out on a person not deserving it.   
”I grew up guarded and there was no one to teach me.”

”Better late than never”, Jongho mused.   
”You need to build some more muscle, though... he didn’t swing at you that hard and you went down.”

”I’m aware”, Yeosang said through gritted teeth. He knew they only meant well. But it should have been obvious he was not as well-built as them. Nowhere near as muscular as someone like Jongho, who looked like he had been lifting heavy objects on a daily basis since he was maybe thirteen. And it certainly didn’t help that the ship moved under his feet all the time, sending him stumbling every third step he took.

”Hey, it’s fine”, Mingi comforted him, seemingly sensing his mood.   
”You’ve seen our captain, he’s small but fights well. San and Wooyoung are pretty strong as well.”

”Wooyoung isn’t that good with swords though”, Jongho remarked.   
”But he’ll shoot you dead before you can even get close.”

Yeosang remembered Wooyoung loading several pistols when they had been gearing up for a battle that ended up never happening and suddenly felt grateful that he was on their good side. 

”Whatever, point being, that you will be alright”, Mingi continued.   
”You just need to learn the basics. Sure, you do need more strength but knowing what to do in the first place is more helpful, when it comes to not dying.”

Jongho nodded along, both of them looking at Yeosang with encouraging smiles. Part of him wished to throw a frustrated tantrum, but he knew better than that. They were trying to help, and he would accept it without complaining. 

”Okay”, he nodded, looking at the sword again.   
”Okay. So how do I block?”

It took hours and hours of training, and several evenings spent feeling sore and exhausted, but eventually Yeosang found himself not getting disarmed in less than ten seconds. Most of the time he was sparring with Mingi, who seemed to defeat him each time without even breaking a sweat, no matter how hard he tried. It seemed like the tall pirate was always two steps ahead.

”Mingi’s the most skilled fighter on this ship, so it’s unfair to begin with”, Wooyoung had comforted him.   
”No one expects you to beat him, but he’s good practice. If you can defend against him, you can do it against anyone.”

It didn’t make training any less frustrating at the moment, but Yeosang had to eventually admit that there was some truth to what Wooyoung had said. When he finally sparred with Jongho for a change, he did much better, even if the youngest had his unfair strength to use as an advantage. Yeosang even managed to disarm him a couple of times.

”There you go. We’re building a pirate out of you”, Jongho smiled at him the first time he succeeded, and Yeosang couldn’t help but smile back triumphantly. 

He was getting used to other work on the ship as well. He was no more nearly falling every second he tried to walk, which San had called him finding his “sea legs”. Most tasks he could already do without needing to ask for help or instructions. He hadn’t accidentally poisoned anyone when it had been his turn to make the dinner. In addition to that he was spending hours in Hongjoong’s cabin, looking at the maps. Many times the captain had joined him, but recently he had found himself alone, as there hadn’t been anything of interest for Hongjoong to focus on at his desk. No raided documents or other such things. They hadn’t had any other ships to plunder after the one Yeosang had witnessed, so it seemed sensible for the captain to spend more time on deck with the rest of the crew. 

Yeosang was feeling... comfortable. 

The others had accepted him as one of them quickly, especially Wooyoung who seemed to gravitate to his company a lot. San had quickly become quite affectionate with him as well, and others seemed very happy to spend time with him too. It was something he hadn’t really experienced before, but he found himself enjoying it.

Yeosang hadn’t really had any friends at the temple, as most people there had been considerably older than him. Only when he had gotten closer to adulthood was he around the same age as the youngest apprentices who were training to become priests. And it wasn’t like he had been allowed to spend much time with them. The High Priest had been quite protective of him, claiming there would always be someone who would have... ill intentions towards him. Whatever it meant, Yeosang wasn’t quite sure. Surely it would have been noticed if someone tried to join the ranks with the intention of hurting their Spark? 

Of course, physical attacks hadn’t been the only thing he had been protected from. He had asked about it one time, at sixteen.

_ ”Wouldn’t it be good for me to be with them at least for a while?” _

_ The High Priest wasn’t smiling, but his face showed fondness as he moved closer to Yeosang, who was sitting on a large velvet cushion, settled near the bookshelves.  _

_ ”And what do they have to offer you?” he asked. Even if it wasn’t intended as patronizing, it sure felt like it. Yeosang pouted. _

_ ”Company? Friendship? You give a lot of speeches about those things when the ceremonies ask for it”, he pointed out, staring at his hands.  
_ _ ”Yet I’m mostly alone or surrounded by people who keep me at arm’s length.” _

_ It hadn’t been his intention to complain. But he couldn’t help the bitter feeling slipping out. The loneliness he was surrounded by so often. Like there was an invisible wall between him and everyone else. _

_ He heard the fabrics of clothing and furniture shift. The High Priest had sat down on the floor, right beside him. And the next thing he knew was the large hand on his head, lightly petting his hair in a comforting manner.  _

_ ”I understand how you feel”, he said.   
_ _ ”My dearest Spark. What you need to remember is that you’re special. You have a purpose to fulfill, and that sets you apart from others.” _

_ Yeosang leaned into the touch, even if the words didn’t exactly make him feel any better. _

_ ”Why does ’special’ have to mean ’lonely’ as well?” he whispered, feeling his face twitch slightly, like it usually did when he felt like crying. But he wouldn’t. He would will all tears away. _

_ ”I know it feels bad, but don’t you think it would be worse if you got close to them?” _

_ He raised his head, looking at the High Priest. The neatly trimmed beard and strong brow, he was a man whose face seemed impossible to forget. His lips curved upwards to a patient smile. _

_ ”What if you did get to mingle with others? You would make friends, get attached, maybe even fall for someone?” _

_ Yeosang felt the blush creeping on his cheeks and hid his face. It felt weird to hear it from someone who had raised him. _

_ ”What would then happen, when it’s time for you to leave to do your duty?” _

_ The hand on his hair stopped. _

_ ”You would miss them, wouldn’t you? And they would miss you. Isn’t that right?” _

_ Yeosang tried to think of such a situation. He nodded. _

_ ”And knowing that, would you still want to befriend someone? Knowing that you will end up breaking both their heart and your own? Making your work harder?” _

_ He bit his lip.  _

_ ”It’s better that you don’t get too attached. It might feel bad now but it will be easier for you in the end, and fair for others.” _

_ ”But I will miss you too”, Yeosang interrupted.  _ _  
"How is that fair for either of us?” _

_ The High Priest smiled, his hand caressing his hair once more. _

_ ”I know, dear Spark. Know that I will miss you too. It’s impossible to get through this without any heartbreak, but will you agree with me that it’s better to have as little as possible? ” _

_ Yeosang looked down at his hands again. _

_ ”... Yes.” _

_ He felt the man shift beside him. _

_ ”You know I want what’s best for you. Can you blame me for not wanting you to go through any pain that can be avoided?” _

_ Yeosang shook his head lightly. He knew the High Priest cared for him deeply. But even his comfort didn’t stop the loneliness gnawing in his stomach at times. _

_ ”I’m sorry”, he said quietly, feeling guilty. He was way too old to whine like this.  
_ _ ”I didn’t-” _

_ ”You did nothing wrong”, the High Priest assured.  
_ _ ”Now, I have the rest of the evening free. How about you go set the chessboard? Let’s have a quick game before dinner.” _

_ Yeosang raised his head and nodded. He would feel better after the game, he was sure.  _

Despite the High Priest’s best efforts, Yeosang hadn’t been able to shake off the occasional feelings of loneliness that seemed to attack him when he expected it the least. He did get to exchange some words with the younger apprentices eventually, but even then he couldn’t really get to know them, as it quickly became obvious that everyone was under instructions to stay at a safe, no-attachment-inducing distance. 

It had worked, however. Yeosang didn’t particularly miss anyone other than the High Priest himself at times. It was difficult to even remember faces of all the others that had lived at the temple or close by. So he couldn’t say that he felt any resentment towards the man who had raised him for isolating him. A twinge of guilt stemming from betraying his expectations and duty, however...

It still ate him somewhat. But he couldn’t feel too bad, not when after another combat practice with Mingi where he actually managed to hold his own for quite some time, Wooyoung dragged him to sit with them on their quarters around a lantern, probably to play some game he didn’t know the rules to. Not too bad, when he now had people around him, who seemed not to only like him, but actively wanted to get close to him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the others made him take part in a game of questions and commands. Someone would ask one of them a question, and if they weren’t pleased with the answer, they’d have to do something the questioner commanded, or drink some rum Mingi had brought with him. So far the game had been entertaining, even as Yeosang got a little flustered when the commands others were doing got a little frisky (at the moment he was witnessing Yunho and Mingi licking into each others’ mouths). None of those had been directed at him at least. It seemed that everyone had agreed with the captain and wouldn’t push past his comfort zone, at least for now. 

”Yeosang”, a few turns later Mingi looked at him.  
”Have you ever kissed anyone?”

”He hasn’t”, Wooyoung answered for him before he could say anything.  
”I asked him on his first day if he’s had any lovers and he said he hasn’t! Unless he was lying?”

The dark-haired man sent him an accusatory, yet playful glare. Yeosang tried not to squirm.

”I haven’t”, he confessed.   
”But...”

He suddenly remembered his third day on the island, and the dream he’d had while he had laid on the beach. The feeling of soft lips meeting his chapped and dried ones. The sweet flavor blended with the one of sea. The pleasure that had lingered for a while. It had felt so intense, Yeosang didn’t know it was possible for a dream...

”Why is there a ’but’ in there?” Jongho asked, intrigued.

”Well, I haven’t kissed anyone unless you count the weird dream I had on the island”, he explained. He didn’t mind sharing it, he had heard more than enough embarrassing secrets tonight from the rest of the crew so this was nothing. 

”You dreamed of being kissed?” San raised his brows.

”... yes. I was there, laying on the beach and then...” Yeosang trailed off, trying his best to remember the dream.   
”There was someone else too. I think they said something, but I can’t remember what it was. But I remember they kissed me.”

”Romantic”, Yunho chuckled, while Wooyoung, Mingi and San let out excited squeals. 

”That’s so cute”, the latter said.   
”Was it good?”

”Can you actually remember how kissing someone in a dream feels?” Jongho snorted, skeptical. Yeosang tried to hide behind his hands as his face heated up. The others weren’t having it.

”... yeah, it was really good.”

Wooyoung wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giggling.

”Well, let’s hope your first real kiss will be as good”, he grinned. Yeosang let out an amused huff.

”I doubt it.”

  
  


The game ended quite late at night. And he was dragged out of bed very early. Much earlier than he was supposed to. 

”Get up!” he heard San hissing to his ear. Yeosang startled and immediately had to squint to even see the other in the dark.

”What’s happening..” the words barely came out. When he finally could see San’s face, it was completely serious.

”Trouble”, he said curtly.   
”We need everyone on deck. Go ahead, I’ll wake Wooyoung.”

Yeosang managed to pull himself up and quickly slipped into his boots. What was going on?

He knew it had to be serious, of course. It had been obvious when he saw San’s face, and even more blatant when he was hurrying to the deck and saw that the crew of dead men had been let out of their box, and some of them were loading cannons.

This had to be bad.

The weather was clear but windy, it was nearing dawn. He found Hongjoong and Yunho from the upper deck, with Hongjoong on the helm for once.

”What’s going on?” he asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the strong wind.

”We’re being tailed!” the captain shouted back, before barking an order to the... Dead Crew.

He frowned, and Yunho pulled him close, turning him around to face the rear of the ship and pointing.

”Pirate hunters”, he explained, pointing at the horizon.   
”Right there. And their ship is fast, faster than ours.”

Indeed, when he looked hard enough, he could notice another vessel in the distance, and it seemed to be getting closer.

”How do you know they’re hunting.. us?” Yeosang questioned.

”It became pretty obvious when they tried to creep close during the night. I was on the watch”, Yunho hummed.  
”And when we added more sails, they kept following.”

”Will it be a problem?” Yeosang frowned.   
”The others seemed pretty eager to get away after seeing the dead guys...”

”These guys get paid for hunting down pirates”, Yunho reminded.   
”They don’t go down without a fight so we can’t really intimidate them like that. And the ship repairs are expensive and take so much effort so we’d rather avoid that, even if we could probably win against them.”

So the best option would be to escape, Yeosang deduced. But unfortunately it seemed that it wouldn’t succeed. The pirate hunter ship seemed to creep closer and closer. 

”Do we have a plan?” Yeosang asked. Yunho glanced at the dead crew loading the cannons.

”Their ship is fast but not the biggest one, thankfully”, he mused.   
”So the plan is to let our friends here bombard them and try not to die. And take out as many of the hunters as we can and not let them board us.”

Yeosang felt a cold sensation sliding down his spine. He trusted that the others would do just fine, but he wasn’t too sure of himself. He had picked up the basics of sword fighting and Wooyoung had told him how to fire a gun, but he had never had to fight for real. Against someone, who would want him dead.

It was a scary thought.

Yunho seemed to sense his emotions, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.

”Just stay alert, stay calm and act quick”, he advised.   
”You’ll be alright.”

He wasn’t so sure, but nodded anyway as he watched the ship approaching. 

There would be no negotiations, captain had said as the whole crew gathered on deck and prepared themselves for a fight. It was likely that the pirate hunters would fire at them the very second they got close enough for the cannons’ range. 

”It looks like we’re going to have to take them down, there isn’t really any opportunity to slip away here”, Hongjoong noted.   
”All of you stay back and stay down as much as possible and let the souls fight for us! You engage only if they try to board us!”

”Can’t I even take a shot?” Wooyoung frowned, gesturing at the rifled gun he was holding. Hongjoong sighed.

”Sure, if you can do it without getting shot yourself.”

”Aawww, don’t you trust me?”

”Wooyoung, this is serious.”

Wooyoung was still sporting his usual smile, but he did nod at their captain, before leaving to find a good spot for himself. How a man could stay so lighthearted even when in danger, Yeosang couldn’t understand. Maybe Wooyoung simply felt like nothing could touch him. And Yeosang hoped he was right.

Hongjoong was turning the ship around, and he took the moment to get himself in a position on deck that he deemed safe enough. At least he wouldn’t get his head taken off by a cannonball immediately. Last time he had checked, just a moment ago, the pirate hunters were almost close enough for him to see people on deck.

He couldn’t see Hongjoong, but he heard his yelled order before the cannons fired. 

It didn’t take long until they got hit as well. The sounds of cannons booming and wood breaking filled his ears, he winced. 

As he raised his head, he saw Wooyoung further away, firing his gun with a focused expression, and San beside him, gripping his own weapons. 

It was then that Yeosang finally dared to take a look at their enemy. The pirate hunters, who finally had gotten close, right next to them. 

The ship wasn’t much larger than theirs, but there were way more people. Without much trying he could count at least thirty- make that twenty-nine, as one fell down, shot by Wooyoung. And there had to be more under the deck. Even with the dead crew on their side... there were a lot of men willing to kill them. 

Yeosang tightened his hold of the pistol Wooyoung had given him. Killing another person sounded horrible in his thoughts but another voice in his head was quick to remind him that it would be him and his new friends or them. 

They shot another round with cannons. And another. Yeosang could swear he heard something large crack in the other ship. 

”Don’t let them on our ship!” he heard Yunho roar somewhere behind him. When he looked again, he did indeed see several men trying to swing over from the other ship to their deck. Some of them fell into the water, as Wooyoung and San had both fired at them. Others, however, made it, raising their weapons.

His view got blocked by Mingi, who had immediately charged forward to defend their ship, cutting down the first man who got in his way. 

Yeosang knew he should do something. He should help... fight with them... and not just stand there.

He wasn’t given any more time to think it over, when a pirate hunter, who had managed to slip onto their ship took a swing at him. Yeosang fortunately had the reflexes to roll out of the way in time, readying his pistol and pulling the trigger. His shot missed, and the man pressed on, clearly intent on stabbing him. He hurried to pull out his sword and managed to block the attack.

It was not like fighting Mingi. And in this case that was fortunate, as it meant the hunter wasn’t as skilled as the Yeosang’s usual opponent, making deflecting blows and counterattacking much easier for him. If anything, it was more like fighting someone like Jongho, who relied more on raw strength. He blocked a strike and moved to the left, slicing forward. The man jumped backwards, but he managed to slash his arm, Yeosang knew it as he heard a hiss of pain and saw blood staining the sleeve. Pain would distract, now was his chance. A chance that was quickly stolen by Jongho, who seemingly out of nowhere appeared to stab the hunter in the back.

”You ok?”

”Yeah”, Yeosang nodded, a gesture that was returned by Jongho who let the body fall. The youngest seemed unharmed as well. 

”Focus on not dying, they’re getting desperate”, he said before running off again to fight someone else. Yeosang looked around carefully, readying himself to block a potential attack. The Dead Crew kept on firing at the other ship, and around him the hunters that hadn’t been shot dead by Wooyoung or San were finding themselves quickly bested by Mingi, Yunho or Jongho, as Hongjoong stayed at the helm, steering them on and dodging bullets every time someone took a shot at him. 

Another hunter had found his way to Yeosang, so he was forced to defend himself once again. His new opponent was, if possible, even more aggressive than the last. As Jongho had said, they were getting desperate, determined to take a couple of pirates with them as death seemed to approach them even faster. Yeosang found himself constantly having to back away as the tall man he was facing pressed on with a roar. There were no taunts, no threats, not a single word at him. Just unspoken despair and rage, a determination to kill him. It was frightening, he thought as he blocked another hard blow, flying against the railing.

Another round of cannon fire went off, and the resulting crack was the loudest Yeosang had heard in his life. As he tried to bounce off the railing to attack, an attempt thwarted by a well-timed counterattack made by the hunter, he saw it. The hunter ship’s mast falling, right towards him. 

He tried his best to run out of the way, blocking another attack, but it did give the hunter an advantage. The man pressed closer, almost close enough to grab him. The mast hit the railing right next to him, breaking it as if it was made of paper. 

Yeosang felt his foot slip as the hunter attacked. The sensation of falling was unfamiliar, he heard himself shriek.

He fell to the sea, barely managing to close his mouth in time. He was sinking deeper, and he could hear the cannons firing again, though the sound was somewhat muted.

He had to get back up. Yeosang opened his eyes, wincing at the unpleasant feeling of water hitting them. 

How had he managed to fall so deep? This was not good.

Yeosang knew he couldn’t really swim that well. He knew how it worked but it wasn’t a skill he had ever truly needed. But he had to get back to the surface. 

It was getting notably harder as more debris fell from the ship to the water, right on top of him. And the next thing in front of him that well was a body. He recognized it as the tall man who had just attacked him. Unlike Yeosang, there was no fight left in him, made evident by the large amount of blood staining the water. 

He was running out of breath, it was impossible to keep his mouth shut anymore... Why was the surface so far away?

Against his better judgment, Yeosang opened his mouth and felt his windpipe filling with water. He expected it to hurt, as the water traveled forward to his lungs. 

... _It didn’t_. It didn’t hurt at all.

The pain caused by lack of air had vanished as well. He didn’t feel any pain, no discomfort, nothing that would indicate that he was drowning.

Instead Yeosang felt panic rising up through his organs. What was going on? He brought a hand to his throat.

Another figure fell to the water, very close. And this time it swam right towards him. Grabbed him, and lifted him up, much faster than he himself had been swimming.

As he rose to the surface, Yeosang still struggled to make sense of his surroundings, or whatever was going on  _ inside _ him. He did register a large gasp someone took right next to his ear, and that he was being dragged across the water, back to the ship. As Jongho swung him to his shoulders when they reached the ladder to the ship, he coughed once.

And again as he was laid down on his side on the deck. And again, spitting the salty water out of his system.

”For fuck’s sake, you scared the shit out of me”, Jongho hissed right to his ear, smacking him in the back and causing him to cough up more water out.   
”How are you not dead?”

Yeosang would have wanted to know the answer as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fun thing about writing this is that I didn't choose an exact time period and technically this is a fantasy setting... and yet I found myself googling things like when rifles were invented and that truth or dare was called "questions and commands" at some point, because my poor history student soul demands it.


	6. In which Yeosang meets a stranger at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was... surprisingly tricky to write. Enjoy!

Yeosang had no idea how long he spent laying there, coughing up seawater. It had filled his entire respiratory system, he was sure of it. All the way to his lungs, and now trying to get it out was painful. And gross. He felt sick, tears falling on his cheeks as he spat on the deck.

A hand appeared on his back again, this time at least it didn’t smack him, probably reasoning that he was doing just fine without help. The sounds of what was left of the battle were muffled in his ears, he had no idea what was going on around him. But judging from the fact that no one was coming at him for an easy kill and that someone had time to check on him, they likely had won. At least there were no more cannons fired, that he could hear. 

As he gagged and coughed some more, another pair of feet found their way next to him.

”What the hell happened?”

”Well what does it look like?” Yeosang heard Jongho almost snap back, his voice tense.

”Did he fall? I just heard him scream but I was-”

”Yes, he fell and he fell deep! I was sure I would be too late!”

The whole crew gathered around Yeosang and Jongho, Yunho pulling Jongho to a calming side hug as the youngest seemed to lose his cool. 

”Wow”, San blinked as he watched Yeosang squirm and spit out water.  
”How much did he take in?”

”A lot, it seems. He was there for a good while before I jumped in”, Jongho muttered, leaning on Yunho.  
”I have no idea how he survived that...”

”Neither have I...” Yeosang croaked out before being sent into another coughing fit. Wooyoung patted his back carefully.

”He speaks, he’s going to be fine”, Yunho smiled.

”Eventually”, San added, picking up Yeosang’s hand and giving it a light, encouraging squeeze. Yeosang tried to finally take some actual deep breaths, now that the water had mostly cleared out. It still hurt, but at least he could breathe without issues. 

He heard the telltale light steps of the captain's boots. 

”Is he okay?” Hongjoong asked but didn’t sound particularly worried.

”Probably, at least he’s breathing now... a lesser man would have drowned”, San hummed, rubbing Yeosang’s knuckles. The gesture felt comforting, Yeosang appreciated it a lot.

”Pretty much anyone should have drowned if they took that much water in”, Mingi noted, leaning over him.  
”Are you sure you didn’t make out with a mermaid at some point or something, Yeosang?”

He frowned at the question, confused.

”What..?”

”A mermaid’s kiss”, Hongjoong explained, amused.   
”It’s said to protect a man from drowning.”

”I already told you guys I haven’t kissed anyone...” Yeosang mumbled, laying his head down. The exhaustion from nearly sinking to the bottom of the sea and from the battle before that unpleasant experience seemed to fill his body at once. 

”Except the dream guy”, Wooyoung snickered, happy that at least Yeosang wasn’t actively suffering or dying, just letting out tired groans.

”Well, I think we can safely say that Yeosang here is not going to drown even if he tries”, Hongjoong hummed.   
”That said, we should move you to a better resting spot and start cleaning up.”

Oh yeah, the battle.

”Did you get them all...?” Yeosang didn’t know when he had closed his eyes, but he didn’t bother opening them again.

”Yep, and their ship is blown to timbers here”, San confirmed.   
”And you better not fall asleep on us, we need to get you to your bunk. Can you walk?”

He could, with a little assistance from Wooyoung, who helped him to get back under the deck. Despite his exhaustion Yeosang did manage to notice the holes the hunter ship’s cannons had blown on  _ Aurora _ . Nothing too serious, judging by the behavior of others, as it wasn’t rushed and there was no water leaking in from anywhere. But it would take a while to repair everything, unless Hongjoong would somehow make the Dead Crew do it. Yeosang wasn’t sure if it was even possible. He fully expected to be dragged to work right when it would be clear that he wouldn’t faint and fall off the ship again.

They reached his bunk and he slumped down, yanking his wet shirt off. Living with five other guys in the same space - who were very used to seeing each other naked - had caused him to stop caring about his modesty that much, so Wooyoung’s presence didn’t really bother him as he stripped down to change his clothes to dry ones. 

”Oh? They’re darker again.”

He glanced at the other over his shoulder as he pulled on a new pair of pants.

”What?”

”The things”, Wooyoung pointed at his arms. Yeosang replied with a confused frown before looking at himself. His arms, to be exact. 

Both of them had strange, gray markings, like strings spun around them, all the way from wrists to elbows. Yeosang didn’t remember seeing them before... but Wooyoung had said it as if it was nothing new.

”What are these?” it came out almost as a whisper.

”You tell me”, Wooyoung shrugged.   
”Since you’re the one who has them.”

”I have no idea!” Yeosang tried to keep calm, despite having strange marks on his skin that definitely didn’t belong there.  
”Why do you sound like they have been there the whole time?”

Wooyoung’s face turned confused.

”Because they have?” he said.   
”You seriously haven’t noticed them? I thought they were part of the sacrifice thing or something, since you had them when we found you. Okay, they did kind of fade later on, but now they’re a lot darker again.”

Yeosang liked to think he was pretty observant. To have something like this on his person, on his body, and not notice it... it sounded ridiculous. They must have faded to be very light, and as his arms were mostly covered by his clothes all the time, he technically could have simply not have noticed, if they hadn’t been this dark earlier...

But why had they darkened now? 

Wooyoung reached out to touch the marks on his left arm, carefully sliding his fingers across the skin.

”They don’t feel weird or anything”, he mused.   
”And they look almost like any other tattoo, just a different color.”

Yeosang had seen some of the others sporting tattoos and he had to agree. They wouldn’t stick out that much. Not that there were many people to see his arms, anyway. That was the least of his worries.

”So you didn’t get these yourself?” 

”No”, Yeosang confirmed.   
”They weren’t there before, I swear... how did I not see them earlier?”

Wooyoung’s head tilted as his eyes followed the pattern, as if trying to spot anything unusual, but nothing stood out.

”You got them on the island, then”, he reasoned.

”How?”

”As if I would know.”

Yeosang spent the rest of the day trying to solve the mystery and convincing others he was feeling just fine and could work. They eventually agreed and he could finally distract himself. Wooyoung mentioned the marks to others too, and others confirmed they had also seen them on him when they had first found him. Which wasn’t helpful at all and made him feel even stupider for not noticing them earlier.

No one could come up with a good explanation of what they were or where they came from. Well, Yeosang hadn’t asked Hongjoong, but he didn’t exactly have time, as they were busy with repairing the ship and the captain wasn’t with them, whereas he could talk with others as they worked. 

The only thing Yeosang was certain of now was that _something_ had happened while he was on the island. On his third day. The day that had been nothing but suffering, after he had become convinced there was no hope for him completing the ritual he was tasked with. The first day had gone fine, he had offered everything asked of him. Prayers, a lock of hair, a drop of blood. And everything had gone wrong the very next day, when he was supposed to continue by destroying the remains of a Spark sent before him. 

And when it had turned out there were no remains. The previous Spark wasn’t there. Which meant he couldn’t complete the ritual. In retrospect, Yeosang thought he probably could have tried skipping that very step and gone straight to the final prayers, offering himself as a new Spark to be claimed. But there on the island it just had shook him so badly, plunged him to despair, as he couldn’t have done as instructed, and there had been no one to help him.

The fact that he had gone a good while without food or water, along with the heat of early summer torturing him, that had probably made things worse, made it harder for him to think straight. And that’s how he had ended on the beach, to the shallow water and finally passed out, dreaming about someone rising from the sea to kiss him. 

That he had dreamed something like that sounded even more ridiculous, when he placed it to its context. He had been on the verge of sunstroke and death by dehydration, for fuck’s sake.

”Yeah, when you put it that way, it is kinda ridiculous”, Mingi said, startling Yeosang and making him realize that he had been muttering his thoughts aloud.  
”Still cute, though.”

Yeosang sighed.

”I guess... still doesn’t explain anything.”

They continued on after repairing the ship, the next two days going by without any incident. Yeosang returned to combat training, cleaning the deck some more and spending a few hours a day staring at maps. Hongjoong had joined him for once, as they had to make plans where to sail. According to the captain, they were going to need to restock on fresh water soon.

”There aren’t many ports we’re welcomed in close by”, he said, gliding his finger on the map.   
”But there should be an island with a spring that’s not too far. Assuming it’s still good, of course.”

Yeosang followed along to see the island on the map. It was easy to find. About a day’s sail away. So that would be next.

”Won’t we need to stop somewhere for food eventually?” he asked.

”We do. So, navigator-in-training, where do you think we should go?”

Yeosang turned his attention to the maps they had spread on the desk, marking a few potential ports that were close enough. Some of them Hongjoong rejected, stating that the military presence in those areas was quite heavy.

”As you might have noticed, we have a bit of a reputation, so I’d rather not risk it”, he explained. Yeosang did remember how the merchant ship’s crew had recognized Hongjoong and reacted with horror. It certainly helped with making them surrender, but he understood the bad sides of it as well. Hongjoong must be quite sought after, he deduced. 

”But that one over there, a smaller, more secluded place. That’s good for us”, the captain pointed at one of the ports he had proposed.   
”We’ll stop by that one island for water and then continue on from there.”

The following night was Yeosang’s first on the lookout duty. It was very simple, and only truly required him to stay awake and stare into the horizon in case another batch of pirate hunters or rival pirates tried to slip close and kill them in their sleep. And it wouldn’t - thankfully - last the entire night, someone would eventually come and take over, so he could slip back to crew quarters and sleep until sunrise. 

The night sky was clear and the sea calm, which he was thankful of. It gave him time to ponder his mystery marks some more, without having to shiver under rainfall or try to balance himself when a larger wave would hit the ship. Yeosang wandered around the deck to keep himself awake, looking for signs of other ships in the distance but finding none. Nothing but the seemingly endless mass of water surrounding them.

”A beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Yeosang jumped at the sudden voice. It wasn’t familiar in the same sense as everyone else’s on the ship, but he vaguely remembered hearing it somewhere before, or at least someone who sounded similar. He turned around. 

It seemed impossible that someone would have at any point sneaked aboard. Yet there was a new person standing on the deck, eyes directed straight at him. Yeosang’s breath got stuck in his throat as he looked at the man, who was slightly taller than him, dressed in dark, gauzy fabrics that seemed to flow around him. From there he got to his face, full lips and dark eyes. And Yeosang hadn’t even gotten to the fact that he was devastatingly handsome. His hair was black, shorter than Yeosang’s - his was getting long, especially from the back - and slightly wet-looking, as if he had just risen from the sea. 

From the sea... Yeosang was instantly reminded of his dream. Another stranger, rising from the water. A stranger that felt similar to the first one. 

Said stranger smiled as he moved closer, reaching Yeosang so quickly despite his steps not seeming hurried at all. 

”I see my gift was of use to you”, he said.

Yeosang frowned.

”Excuse me?”

Who was this man? And he didn’t recall receiving any gifts lately. Wait-

”I gave you a gift, didn’t I, little starfish?” The man’s smile stayed, his voice patient and pleasant.  
”When I first came to you.”

...

Yeosang had wondered what happened to him on the island a lot for the last few days. But not once had he considered that his strange dream might have not actually been a dream.

Or that he would be dreaming right now. That was also an option. An option that seemed more likely to him right now.

”Is... is this a dream?” he asked, the sound barely leaving his mouth.

”You’re very much awake”, the stranger assured.  
”Although I can see why you would think otherwise. You weren’t exactly in your right mind last time.”

That was true, even if him being awake now wasn’t. Yeosang was sure he had been on the verge of death. However, dreams couldn’t leave marks on his skin. Which kind of threw that theory out. 

”So...” Yeosang breathed, gathering his thoughts to ask a question, even if he was somewhat certain of the answer.  
”What was the gift?”

The stranger chuckled, leaning in closer.

"The gift of you not drowning", he replied.   
"Or breathing underwater, to be specific. It might take a bit of practice, though."

"You mean I wasn't supposed to store two buckets of water in my lungs and cough them up as I got back?" Yeosang couldn’t stop himself from responding sarcastically. The stranger laughed, low and melodic.

”No, you weren’t. Fortunately, you can learn to do it without any of that. Although it might be for the best if you don’t fall in the water too much.”

Yeosang had no intention to do that any time soon. Once was enough, and there weren’t really any reasons to jump down for a swim that he could come up with. He recalled Mingi’s question of kissing a mermaid, obviously meant as a joke. However... he had dreamed of the man before, of being kissed by him. And now it started to seem like it had actually happened. That this person had been there, on the beach with him. Appeared out of nowhere, just like he had done now. 

Or he was crazy. That was also an option, even if Yeosang had usually considered himself to be quite level-headed.

He noticed that the stranger had slipped closer, on touching range. Yeosang was definitely not used to people getting up in his personal space, he got easily uncomfortable or shy. It was a small miracle that he had gotten used to physical closeness with other crew members - well, mostly Wooyoung and San, the rest were slowly getting there - as fast as he did. 

But now he was close, and only now it occurred to Yeosang that he perhaps should be more or less alarmed. There was a stranger on their ship, something was clearly not right with them... and he was facing him alone. He knew by now how to defend himself, but something told him it would not help him at all. There was a strange air around the man, an unseen strength that seemed to surround him. Something Yeosang would be completely powerless against. Even when there were no other threatening signs, it managed to unsettle him. 

The stranger seemed to sense it.

”You have nothing to fear from me, little starfish.”

The hand that slowly took his was gentle, the skin soft and slightly damp. Again going well with the impression that the stranger had just risen out of the sea. Yeosang considered pulling his hand away, but decided against it, allowing the other to carefully roll up his sleeve to reveal the gray marks. They were still very dark, easily visible on his skin. 

”How can I be sure?” he asked warily. Even though he was certain that if the other had actually wanted to hurt him, he would have done it already.

”I can never hurt what is mine”, the stranger smiled at him again. The words had a gentle tone, despite their meaning. Claiming ownership. Yeosang knew it should have rang some loud warning bells. However, the way the stranger said it was anything but threatening, his smile was genuine...  _ affectionate _ . 

”What do you mean?” Yeosang hated that he had to ask the question, he sounded like an idiot, but he needed an explanation. The stranger traced the rope-like marks with slender, long fingers, his eyes never leaving Yeosang’s face. 

”You bear my claim, dearest Yeosang. And I’ve sworn to protect what I have claimed.”

_ His claim. _

Yeosang sucked in a quiet breath. He had said it like there was no conversation to be had. Something that had simply been decided without any of Yeosang’s input. Not that it was anything new to him. He was used to others making decisions for him. It was only on this ship that people had started asking his opinions more often. 

But the stranger definitely hadn’t asked. And Yeosang had a creeping suspicion that he was not a normal human. Not even a suspicion, it was obvious. What was he, a witch of some kind? Who, or what, would claim another person as their own with markings and without...

”Don’t you think you should have asked first?” he wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to challenge him, but Yeosang did it nonetheless. The man had assured he wouldn’t hurt him, and it sounded sincere enough that he wanted to believe it. He half-expected an unconcerned, cocky retort about his feelings on the matter being insignificant. Instead what he got was a mildly surprised look.

”But I did ask”, the stranger sounded almost shocked.  
”I asked to claim you, and you told me to do so. You said it yourself.”

Yeosang blinked. Had he done such a thing? When? When had he said something like that?

_ What had happened on that island?  _

He cursed the haziness of his memories of the last day. He had been so convinced his meeting with the stranger had been a dream, and he had no idea what had been said then...

And did it even count when he had been likely delirious from the heat and thirst? When he had wished for nothing but having something fix the ritual and to be claimed as a Spark?

... could he have mistaken the stranger for something else? A messenger of death or something of that caliber? Something that would come get him from that island to end his life?

And by mistake, the stranger had claimed him to be his own instead. For what end, Yeosang had no idea. 

He looked up, at the stranger’s waiting face. It was calm, patiently waiting for him to process new information and come up with an answer. 

Or in this case, Yeosang only had more questions. Of which he chose the most pressing one. 

”What... what do you want from me, then?” he asked. 

”I want you to be mine. However”, he saw a hint of something resembling sadness flick in the stranger’s gaze, but it was gone as quick as it had appeared.  
”It will have to wait for now, as we both have more... pressing matters to attend to. But, I promise we will meet again soon, little starfish. There are many things that require an explanation, but I’m not sure I can provide yet.”

It raised even more questions. Yeosang was far from satisfied. He happened to glance downwards as he heard a small, wet sound. He couldn’t see the stranger’s shoes - if he was wearing any, his entire body was covered in the black fabrics, save from the hand still holding his. But he did see... something, something dark on the deck. And just when he saw it, it slithered away, disappearing under the fabrics with lighting speed. A tug on his hand made him look up again.

”I truly wish I could explain right away, but I think it would be... I wouldn’t even know where to begin”, the stranger seemed genuinely conflicted. Yeosang believed him.

”Well, you could start by telling who you are.”

He should have asked that in the beginning. He had a feeling the whole conversation would have been at least marginally easier if he had a name for the man. 

He seemed to agree, as his lips curved upwards to a mystifying smile as he let go of Yeosang’s hand. A question he could definitely answer, and it somehow caused Yeosang to tense up.

”My name is Seonghwa.”

Yeosang had no idea what he had been expecting, but that was not it. 

Seonghwa. Seonghwa. Just like  _ Aurora _ ’s former quartermaster, who had disappeared months ago without a trace. 

It could have been a coincidence, but there were so many odd factors in play that Yeosang was convinced there was no way. 

However, before he could say anything-

”Yeosang.”

He honest to Holy Light shrieked as a hand slightly tapped him on the shoulder. He whipped around to see Mingi’s surprised face. 

”Shit, sorry”, the tall man chuckled, seemingly just as startled by his reaction.   
”You were really deep in thoughts, weren’t you? You should get to bed.”

Oh, right. His shift was over. But what about-

Yeosang quickly turned to look over his shoulder. 

Seonghwa was gone. Without a trace.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about Yeosang with longer hair (as he hasn't had a chance to cut it here) and then I see that apparently, he now has this baby mullet going on...


	7. In which Yeosang learns more about Seonghwa (and dives)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very dialogue and exposition heavy chapter ahead!
> 
> Also "tasteful tentacles", as my friend called them, make an appearance.

He barely slept at all that night. Instead he laid on his bunk, staring at the planks above and thinking of the weirdest conversation he’d ever had in his life. Which had just happened.

At least he was pretty sure it had actually happened. There was always that chance that he had simply gone mad at some point, but the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed. When it had become clear that the strange marks on his arms - that had turned out to be Seonghwa’s... claim, were seen by others and weren’t something he was simply imagining. When it had turned out that he couldn’t drown and in fact could learn to breathe underwater. Something he wouldn’t have a chance to try immediately and really didn’t want to, as last time had gone less than spectacularly. 

However, the biggest shock had been saved for last. The stranger who had found him on the island, and now sneaked onto the ship without anyone noticing, and later disappearing in a blink of an eye. The stranger’s name. Seonghwa. As in, _ Seonghwa the disappeared quartermaster.  _

It could have been a simple coincidence, a case of the same name, but Yeosang was certain that was not it. They had to be the same person. However, it would be impossible to confirm. For him, at least. He didn’t know what Seonghwa the Quartermaster had looked like, what he sounded like. He only knew some attributes Wooyoung and Hongjoong had mentioned while talking about. Their praises about someone who sounded like a perfect sailor and someone dearly beloved and missed. Yeosang had heard what last night’s Seonghwa sounded like, what he looked like, but knew next to nothing about him. There hadn’t really been anything shared, personality-wise.

He needed someone else to confirm his suspicions. But there likely wouldn’t be a chance for it anytime soon. 

Mingi had clearly not seen Seonghwa on the deck when he had come to change shifts with Yeosang. Which again had Yeosang doubting his sanity for a while, but he had brushed it off eventually. If Seonghwa had simply disappeared before, there probably wasn’t anything to stop him from doing it again. If Mingi had seen him, he would have reacted. Maybe like someone who’d seen a ghost. Or if he hadn’t recognized him, with hostility, as that would have meant there was an intruder on board. But the only thing Mingi had reacted to was Yeosang’s embarrassing screech as he had been startled by the taller crew member’s sudden appearance. 

Yeosang shifted in his bunk, turning on his side. He had to find answers somehow. 

Most of the crew were chatty, Yeosang reckoned it would be easy to get at least one of them to talk. However, he would have to tread carefully. Seonghwa’s disappearance and presumed death was obviously a sensitive topic. And despite everyone agreeing there was something special going on with him, as witnessed by his not-drowning, he came into conclusion that he probably shouldn’t mention his nightly encounter, at least not yet. In case his assumptions of the two Seonghwas being one and the same person was wrong. He wouldn’t want to give the crew false hope. 

In the end he chose the easy option and went to Wooyoung. He was constantly talking everyone’s ear off, Yeosang figured he would only have to prompt slightly. Wooyoung likely wouldn’t ask many questions either. So he put his plan in motion as they were taking inventory in the cargo hold. 

”Wooyoung?” Yeosang got the other’s attention easily.  
”I was wondering... could you tell me more about Seonghwa?”

Wooyoung’s eyebrows rose questioningly, but curiously he didn’t say anything yet.

”You don’t have to, if you don’t want to”, Yeosang continued hurriedly.   
”I was just...”

”No, it’s okay, I can tell you things”, Wooyoung interrupted, assuring him with a small smile.  
”I was just surprised. What do you want to know?”

Now, he had to pick his words carefully. Not that Wooyoung would get suspicious, at least Yeosang didn’t think so. But he needed to know specific things... 

”Just... he was clearly important to you all, so what was he like?” it was probably for the best to start with a broad question, and then get to what the man had looked like. As that was the important thing he needed to know. 

Wooyoung leaned against a crate, thinking for a while.

”Well, I already told you he was fun to make fun of”, he chuckled.   
”He had a lot of patience, but you could see the annoyance building up, he would always make this face of  _ ’you’re in so much trouble _ ’, you know? But he was too soft on us to ever get really mad.”

Yeosang snorted.

”Isn’t that just bullying?” he asked. Wooyoung shrugged. 

”Maybe a little, but I mean... a couple of times he woke me up by throwing water on me after I’d been particularly annoying. Or threatened to leave me without dinner.”

”Why do I get the feeling you were the only one making fun of him...”

”I wasn’t! I was simply the one doing it more often”, Wooyoung flashed a way too innocent smile as he peeked into the crate he was leaning on.  
”The others teased him just as much!”

”No we didn’t”, San’s voice protested from behind them. Yeosang turned around on his heels. How long had the other man been standing there and listening in? 

”You did! You stole his food!” Wooyoung didn’t seem to mind a third person butting in. San gasped dramatically and placed his hand on his chest, feigning offense.

”One time!”

”More like every time.”

Yeosang covered his mouth to hide his giggles as the two had their playful shouting match. It lasted for a while and ended without conclusion, as San finally drew a calm breath.

”So, Yeosangie wants to hear about Seonghwa?” he asked, hopping up to sit on one of the crates.  
”Why?”

Now, this was the very reason Yeosang hadn’t gone for San to get answers. He would ask questions, get more suspicious. And even though he trusted them, Yeosang didn’t want to share his encounter with Seonghwa yet and make the others think he was crazy or that their quartermaster might have been less dead than expected without having definitive proof. 

”I’m just curious”, he replied, praying San wouldn’t pry much further.   
”Wooyoung talked of him earlier and so did the captain so...”

”Ah, of course he did”, San’s mouth curved to a knowing smile.   
”Hongjoong will never shut up about Seonghwa if he comes up...”

”Even when Seonghwa was right there next to him”, Wooyoung added. In Yeosang’s experience Hongjoong  _ had _ eventually shut up about Seonghwa... but it seemed the two were fond of exaggerating things. 

”Yes, he did praise him a lot...” he said.

” _ The cutest and prettiest man alive, the best sailor, the deadliest fighter! _ ” San announced with his greatest mighty Captain Kim Hongjoong impersonation, which instantly had Wooyoung in stitches and even Yeosang laughing along. 

”I mean, he’s not wrong. Seonghwa was really good at all things related to sailing and I think even Mingi would have been in trouble, had they ever crossed blades”, San continued, dropping the theatrics. Yeosang nodded, storing the information in his mind. The bit about Seonghwa being good at all things sailing wasn’t exactly news: Hongjoong had mentioned he’d been a phenomenal navigator and helmsman. The combat ability was new information. And in a way, as Yeosang reminisced his meeting with Seonghwa, he had no trouble believing that. He remembered how the man had exuded power. There was something in him that had Yeosang convinced that he could have easily been snapped into tiny pieces in seconds, if that had been what Seonghwa had wanted.

Luckily, he seemed to be safe from such wishes. Seonghwa had emphasized that he would not - _ could not _ \- harm Yeosang. He wasn’t sure, why, but it was reassuring.

”And apparently he was also... pretty?” Yeosang prompted carefully, causing San to chuckle.

”Sure was. Have you ever seen one of those people who have really nice hair that never seems to get messy?”

He had.

”Or those who have really nice full lips that you just find yourself staring and suddenly have the biggest urge to kiss them for like three hours?” Wooyoung continued.

Yeosang tried to think of Seonghwa’s lips... which was not challenging at all, he had noticed them. And thinking of it, Wooyoung was so right and it took considerable effort on Yeosang’s part to will himself not to blush. 

”I can imagine”, he lied. He didn’t even have to imagine. 

”Combine that with tall, dark and handsome”, San concluded, as if Yeosang couldn’t have been more convinced now that he was right.   
”You would have been a good match for him, though.”

Yeosang wouldn’t have been so sure.

”Yeah, Yeosangie’s pretty too”, Wooyoung mused.   
”But it’s a different kind, don’t you think? He’s cute and angelic and all that.”

”With a jawline that will cut you if you touch him.”

”Can you not?” Yeosang sighed, hiding his face behind his hands. 

”Not praise you? No way”, Wooyoung teased briefly, but then let out a sigh of his own, slumping against the crate San was sitting on.   
”It’s a shame you didn’t get to meet Seonghwa. You would have liked him. He would have liked you.”

Yeosang had to bite his tongue. He  _ had _ met Seonghwa. Seonghwa seemed to like him, at least on some level, but he couldn’t be certain of his intentions yet. And Yeosang definitely couldn’t yet say whether he liked Seonghwa or not. 

”I suppose so”, he said.   
”The captain seems to really miss him. When we were looking at the maps, he said he’s convinced Seonghwa is alive somewhere.”

He tried to say it nonchalantly, to not ruin the light mood of the conversation. He noticed a flicker of pity in San’s eyes as the man opened his mouth.

”Of course he would... those two were really close, after all”, he said.  
”I guess he’s still in denial.”

”Well, can’t really blame him for missing him, can you? Hongjoong’s bed has been empty for months”, Wooyoung chuckled, as if trying to lighten them all up. Yeosang raised his eyebrows.

”They were like that too?” he guessed. The amusement was back on San’s face.

”We’ve all fooled around with each other at some point, but those two... I swear Seonghwa spent way more nights in Hongjoong’s cabin than in his own”, he grinned knowingly.   
”Right from the start, I think. It took a while before I got Seonghwa to even give me kisses, but you couldn’t get him out of Hongjoong’s bed.”

”He warmed up to me pretty quickly”, Wooyoung shrugged.   
”But yep, Hongjoong was his favorite and he was Hongjoong’s. I swear Seonghwa just saw him on the ship and joined us on a whim because he wanted to fuck him.”

”Maybe, but it was good he did.”

”So he joined after you guys?” Yeosang interrupted. 

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had been lovers. That was new information, not something that had even remotely come up last night... but it did explain Hongjoong’s behavior. But what about Seonghwa? He had not said anything about the captain... or the crew, for that matter. Only Yeosang. Did that mean something?

”Yeah, from this small coast town, where we stopped to get supplies”, San confirmed.   
”At least I think he was from there, he never said he was, but that’s where we met him.”

”In the port”, Wooyoung elaborated.   
”When we came back. He was there, we found him with Hongjoong, who just announced Seonghwa would join us.”

Yeosang eyed at them. 

”You make it sound like that wasn’t your usual way of recruiting crew members”, he pointed out.

”Well, there’s only seven of us, so we don’t really recruit that often”, San retorted, stretching his arms.  
”We’re just sort of a collection. Hongjoong met Yunho and Mingi first, and those two have been friends since childhood. I joined next when I ran into them while getting away from the law.”

_ A career criminal _ , Yeosang couldn’t suppress a small smile. He could easily imagine San as a thief on land as well, running between buildings and sneaking among crowds, sticking his hand to other people’s pockets and sneakily breaking into houses.

”I was working on another ship, when it came across these guys”, Wooyoung explained.   
”And I managed to convince them to let me join.”

”How?” Yeosang frowned.   
”And how did you plunder another ship with four men?”

”Dead Crew”, San reminded. Oh, right... it seemed that Hongjoong had been in possession of the little box for a good while.

”And I was just too cute to get murdered, so they fell in love with me instead!” Wooyoung announced, earning a groan from Yeosang and getting side-eyed by San.

”You also threatened to shoot me”, the latter huffed. Wooyoung grinned mischievously.

”I wasn’t really going to.”

”Well I couldn’t have known it back then! Mingi was two seconds away from throwing a knife in your eye!”

Somehow Yeosang was certain that this discussion had taken place several times before. He glanced back at the work they were supposed to be doing. 

Yeosang got to step on the land again for the first time in a good while the very next day. They had reached the island with a fresh water spring. Leaving the ship felt a little strange, but it was nice to step on something that didn’t shift along with the waves every second. 

The island was much bigger than the one he was picked up from, and by the shore he saw several caves on the rock. 

”We can go have a look in one of those”, Wooyoung suggested, excited.  
”They’re really pretty inside!”

They did. After wandering further to the island to get the fresh water, of course, as was the job. The spring was easy to find, the others being familiar with the island. Gathering the water and bringing it back to the ship took a good while but eventually they were free to explore on their own for a little, before having to return.

Yeosang followed Wooyoung, San and Mingi to the biggest cave they found. It wasn’t very deep, but the ceiling went surprisingly high. And it was filled with water.

”It gets really deep at the end”, San warned.   
”Don’t fall in... unless you’re in a mood for a bit of diving.”

”Maybe I am”, Yeosang joked. What surprised him was that the cave was nowhere near as dark as he had first thought. When they reached the end, he noticed a small hole in the ceiling, letting the light in. 

”Well, what do you say then? Want to dive in? It could be refreshing”, Wooyoung grinned, already pulling off his clothes.  
”I’ll go.”

All of them seemed to be in the mood for it, so Yeosang found himself agreeing. And to be honest, he wanted to try something again. Try whether he could actually breathe underwater. 

The pool of water in the cave was indeed deep, and thankfully wide as well, so there was no danger of jumping in and immediately bumping your head into stone. 

”There might be sharp rocks on the sides, though”, Mingi said as Wooyoung got ready to dive.  
”Just don’t get reckless.”

”Me? Reckless? I would never”, the most blatant lie ever known to mankind was let out before the shortest of them dove into the water with a splash. Yeosang ducked out of the way, along with San. The water seemed much cooler in the cave than outside. 

Wooyoung’s head surfaced soon enough and they continued on, each of them taking their turns diving and getting back up again.

On his second turn - as he had spent the first getting used to the water temperature - Yeosang took a deep breath before plummeting in. He landed much deeper than on the first time, the light didn’t reach far and his surroundings got entirely dark very fast. Alright, now to try. He wasn’t too far from the surface, after all, he could still swim back if it didn’t work. 

He let out the breath he’d been holding. How did this work? Was he simply supposed to breathe like he normally would or was there some trick to it? Yeosang opened his mouth. It seemed like a wiser choice than trying to breath through his nose. He felt the water flow in, but was careful not to swallow any. As his lungs started aching, he finally tried to draw in a breath. 

It seemed to work. At least he didn’t feel like he was suffocating, or drowning. It felt different than breathing air, but not unpleasant. After a few practice tries he found a steady rhythm. In, out. He truly could do it! Yeosang would have cheered if there had been more space and if he could speak in water. The cave had gotten narrow as he’d gone deeper.

He was about to swim back to the surface when something brushed his foot. 

Yeosang didn’t know much about the creatures of the sea. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to know too much. Especially, when something he couldn’t see suddenly touched him. He tried not to let his imagination run wild and conjure up images of creepy monsters lurking in the dark and trying to drag him down to be their dinner. 

The touch returned, but this time it reached his hand. Yeosang would have yelped if that had been possible. He flinched away, but it was too late. Despite wanting to simply run away he turned to look.

The cave was dark, but he could see two black, long tentacles reaching out to him. Yeosang felt himself freezing in fear. Suddenly the water seemed ice cold. 

One tentacle wrapped around his hand, holding firm. At that point Yeosang found his fighting spirit and trashed around in the water, trying to pull himself free. The thing seemed completely unbothered by his efforts. The tentacle pried his fist open, and then the other slipped closer. Yeosang squeezed his eyes shut. Why couldn’t he have nice things?

The second tentacle pressed something on his hand.

”He’s been in there way too long”, Mingi worried.   
”You think he hit his head or something?”

”There’s no blood...” San said slowly, though he didn’t sound confident either. Wooyoung bit his lip, trying his best not to panic. 

Yeosang had been underwater for so long. Way longer than anyone should. He should have surfaced by now. Did he hit his head? Get stuck on something? Wooyoung didn’t want to think the worst, but his fear was slowly getting the better of him. 

”Should we go in and drag him back up?”

”I think so...”

”Wait!” Wooyoung pointed into the water, as he had noticed something and instantly felt relief filling his insides.  
”There he is!”

They all watched as Yeosang’s blond head emerged from the water. Yeosang spat out a little bit of water as he leaned against the rock. Only to get immediately dragged up by Mingi and San. 

”For fuck’s sake, Yeosang!” the latter groaned.   
”You scared the shit out of us!”

Yeosang blinked, wide-eyed.

”What?”

”You were in there for like three minutes!” Mingi flailed his hands.   
”We thought you-”

”I’m fine”, Yeosang interrupted quickly.   
”I just... I found this, so I...”

He reached out to them, opening his hand to show them something. Wooyoung leaned closer.

There, on Yeosang’s palm, was a pretty, shiny pearl. A big one, Wooyoung hadn’t seen many of those before. He glanced at the blonde’s face again. Yeosang seemed unconcerned by the possibility of drowning, but there was some other emotion he managed to catch. As if he’d been startled by something. Wooyoung frowned.

”Wow”, Mingi gasped.   
”That’s a big one.”

”You still scared us”, San pouted. Yeosang chuckled.

”I’m sorry”, he patted San’s shoulder as he tried his best to get himself dry again.   
”I didn’t mean to. But, I promise I was in no danger of drowning again, okay?”

San continued whining even as they left the cave. Wooyoung’s eyes followed Yeosang closely, as well as the pearl as it fell into Yeosang’s pocket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mostly focusing on Yeosang (and Seonghwa, but we're getting there) here, but I wanted to include at least a tiny bit of backstory for the others too. I just see WooSan having a very... memorable first meeting.


	8. In which Yeosang pouts and tracks a treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed this has passed over 1100 hits, thank you all so much! 
> 
> I'm not very satisfied with this chapter, but at least I got it done, I hope you like it anyway!

”By the way”, Yeosang began as he picked up the mop, grimacing at all the sand they had unintentionally dragged along with them to the deck.  
”Do we have a... like a set destination in mind? Or are we just drifting?”

Jongho, who stood closest, dodged the mop as he began cleaning. Yeosang glared at the dirty boot prints making his job harder.

”Not really, we mostly just go from one safe port to another. As safe as it gets for us, anyway”, the youngest shrugged.   
”Captain is after some specific treasure, though, we’ve heard him talk about it, but he hasn’t told us much.”

”Why?” For what Yeosang had seen and heard, Hongjoong seemed to listen to his crew’s opinions quite a bit. Yunho had explained to him that most decisions were at least discussed, sometimes even voted on. It certainly seemed strange for Hongjoong to keep something like this for himself. 

”Not sure”, Jongho replied, looking unconcerned.   
”I think he’s not sure of what and where it is himself either, so he hasn’t just brought it up yet. He likes to come to us only when he has a solid plan ready.”

Well, that made more sense to Yeosang too. He nodded and shooed Jongho out of the way so he could continue mopping.

”Wipe your boots, you’re leaving mud and sand everywhere”, he told him. The younger grinned in response and proceeded to wipe his boots... to the deck, staining it further. And dodged the mop swinging at him with a laugh.

”Sorry, sorry! Couldn’t resist”, he cackled, quickly running out of the range of Yeosang’s fury and further attacks with a wet mop.  
”You didn’t tell me  _ where  _ to wipe them!” 

Yeosang was convinced Hongjoong had lied to him when he’d claimed Jongho would behave. If someone asked him, the youngest crew member was just as much a brat than all the others were.

The nearest port was only two days sail away. And those two days went past real quick, as Yeosang was pushed onto some more cleaning duty. He suspected San, Mingi and Wooyoung had ratted out his little underwater stunt - which had not been at all intentional - to Yunho, who decided that this would be his punishment for making them worry. For a moment he felt like complaining but decided against it. At least now the others wouldn’t make any more of a fuss about the whole thing. 

However, it seemed Yeosang had underestimated how badly he had scared the others. Which, in hindsight, he maybe sort of understood, considering his previous near-death encounters with seawater.

It turned out they had decided to punish him some more by making him stay behind on the ship as they finally made port. Yeosang had pouted excessively, he had wanted to go! He wasn’t sure if the others understood that what was a mundane resupplying stop for them, was all new to him. He had walked a couple of times on the streets of his hometown, closely followed by a protecting entourage and not really making much contact with anyone. He knew all the customs and routines of the large temple like the back of his hand, but did not have much of an idea what life was like for everyone else. Other than what he had overheard in conversation or taught by priests and other devout people residing in the temple. And knowing that there would be new sights to take in and that they were just out of his reach felt incredibly unfair.

Not that he stayed under the deck the whole time or anything, of course. He spent the time looking at the port from the ship, all the different people running around doing their chores. Several other smaller boats and ships and their crews getting ready to sail. And a little further away he could see some parts of the town, but it was nowhere near enough...

”Oh, you stayed behind?” Yeosang jumped at the captain’s voice. A moment later Hongjoong leaned against the railing next to him.

”They made me stay”, Yeosang corrected, pulling his face to a pout yet again.  
”And it’s not fair!”

Hongjoong raised his eyebrows questioningly.

”What did you do to piss them off that much?” he asked, cluing Yeosang in that somehow others had not told Hongjoong about what happened in the cave. So he told it himself instead, narrating how they’d gone exploring and diving to the water, and how he had stayed underwater long enough for them to panic again. When he was finished, Hongjoong simply hummed.

”I think the cleaning duty was enough punishment”, he said.   
”Sorry I wasn’t here, I would have told them to take you with them.”

It was at least somehow comforting, Yeosang nodded.

”I don’t think they understood how much you wanted to go”, Hongjoong continued.   
”But don’t worry, this is a tiny place, nothing much to see, and it’s definitely not the last port you’ll ever see. And by now, Yunho will feel bad enough for you that he’ll buy you something nice and makes everyone else do the same.”

Yeosang huffed. 

”I’m still going to dump a bucket of water on their bunks”, he threatened, making the captain chuckle.

”As long as it’s not the freshwater, we need that.”

They fell silent for a while, watching as some fishermen boats arrived at the docks. Yeosang glanced at the captain, who had fallen into his thoughts.

”Why did you stay on the ship?” he asked.

”Well, someone has to stay to make sure no one unwanted sneaks in”, Hongjoong replied, his eyes fixated on one of the fishing boats.   
”And even though this place is quiet and doesn’t really have any navy soldiers or pirate hunters dwelling around, people are more likely to recognize my face than my crew’s.”

Fair point, Yeosang thought. From what he had gathered from the few plunders he had taken part in, their usual method was to simply intimidate their prey enough to get them to surrender and leave everyone on the other ships unharmed. Which meant that there were a lot of people who knew Hongjoong’s face and reputation. Other crew members were less likely to stick in someone’s memory than the captain. 

”But.”

Yeosang turned to see the captain looking at him with curiosity.

”You said you found something from the cave?” Hongjoong asked.

”Um, yeah”, Yeosang briefly considered telling the captain what he had really been doing and that he hadn’t actually found the thing, more like it had been handed to him... by something. Something that had grabbed him underwater and that Yeosang preferred not to think about too much. He fished the pearl out of his pocket and opened his palm to show it to Hongjoong. 

From the reactions of Mingi and Wooyoung (and San, but on a smaller scale, as he had been busy getting mad at him), Yeosang had understood that the pearl was not something they ran into on a daily basis. It was quite big, after all, and very shiny. Shiny and white enough for it to have been plausible for him to have noticed it in the darker waters. Yeosang thought it was very pretty, but the way he had actually acquired it unsettled him. 

He wasn't sure why, but the way Hongjoong looked at the pearl as if he had recognized something he'd seen before put him even more on edge.

"That's a big one", the captain's voice was nonchalant, however.   
"Very pretty. You should hold onto it."

Yeosang raised his brows. He felt like something significant was being communicated here, but he couldn't interpret it properly.

"Is it worth a lot?" he asked.

"Probably, but trust me, you do not want to sell it. Keep it with you", Hongjoong said firmly, leaning away from the railing.  
"And you shouldn't give away something useful, isn’t that right?"

Yeosang stilled, staring at the captain, whose expression was hard to read. But now he was certain. Hongjoong knew something he didn't. And he had seen something like this before.

He wanted to ask more questions but something told him Hongjoong would be reluctant to answer. Otherwise he would have already told him what was going on, wouldn’t he? What was holding him back?

”No, I shouldn’t”, Yeosang nodded, steeling himself for his attempt. If he didn’t get answers, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying.  
”But how is it useful, captain? It’s just a pearl.”

A small, enigmatic smile wormed its way to Hongjoong’s lips. Like he was teasing him, dangling the chance of getting information right in front of him but refusing to give.

”I’ve seen these kinds of pearls before”, he said, his tone not giving away anything.   
”And I happen to know that they can be very handy sometimes at sea. Should you ever get in such peril that you can’t solve yourself.”

It could have been that. An innocent piece of information an experienced pirate captain had acquired at some point. But Yeosang noticed Hongjoong was still holding back. He didn’t say anything about what the pearl was actually supposed to do.

In addition, there was another thing that bothered him. 

_ What _ was it that had given it to him?

Hongjoong managed to escape Yeosang’s further questioning. For now. 

Mostly because the rest of the crew came back to Aurora from their restocking mission and Yeosang had to focus on making a dramatic point of how he had been horribly mistreated. So he proceeded to greet the others right as they stepped on board with his best pout.

And it was working, Yeosang was very satisfied to see Yunho crack the second the first mate laid eyes on him.

"Please don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" he feigned innocence while swaying lightly on his feet to add to the theatrics.   
"I hope you had fun. While I've just been here, all by myself… just watching longingly while my friends abandon me…"

"No!" And in no time, he was tackled on the deck with a tall pirate wrapped around him in something that was probably supposed to be a hug.  
" _ No no no _ , Yeosang please don't be mad, I'm sorry!"

Yeosang struggled to lift his head. Over Yunho's shoulder he saw an apologetic Mingi, amused Jongho and a very guilty looking Wooyoung and San. The latter sighed.

"Okay, we were a bit too harsh", he admitted.   
"But you _did_ really give us a scare in that cave."

"And I apologized", Yeosang reminded with a huff.   
"But I forgive you, and next time you will take me with you to the town or I'll poison your rum."

"Promise!" Wooyoung chirped, joining Yunho. The others soon followed and Yeosang found himself at the bottom of the pile, squeezed against the deck, giving him another reason to whine. 

He was however quickly placated with apology gifts, as Hongjoong had predicted. In addition to all the necessities, they had bought lots of different foods for Yeosang to try, and Wooyoung had picked out a couple of different earrings for him.

"You've been staring at my piercings so much", he reasoned, grinning as he handed the jewelry to Yeosang.  
"So we should get you some too."

"Can you do that?" Yeosang asked, admiring the silver earrings in his palm. He had always liked how those looked on people, wishing he could get them himself. So it was no wonder he had been staring at Wooyoung’s and Hongjoong’s pierced ears with envy and admiration.

"Of course, I got the tools here. I wouldn't have bought them for you otherwise."

Yeosang beamed.

The bunks would stay dry and the rum un-tampered, he decided. However, Hongjoong would not run away from his questions forever.

He tried to come up with strategy as he once again entered the captain’s cabin. He needed to come forward with questions Hongjoong couldn’t avoid answering. Too vague and he would squirm away, too bold and he’d likely lean on his authority, stating that he was under no obligation to tell Yeosang anything. Granted, it didn’t seem like a very Hongjoong thing to do, Yeosang mused. It was more on the High Priest’s alley, whenever Yeosang had asked something he didn’t want to answer, or didn’t have an answer for. 

What was the pearl? What was that something Hongjoong seemed to know but not tell Yeosang? And did Hongjoong know Seonghwa was very likely alive and apparently could appear and disappear at will? 

Yeosang suddenly remembered how unconcerned Hongjoong had acted after the battle with pirate hunters. After he had almost drowned, were it not for ”Seonghwa’s gift” and Jongho jumping overboard to fish him up. He had said something, but Yeosang couldn’t quite recall what. Granted, he had been more than a little disoriented at that point, so it was no wonder he couldn’t remember the words said, but the captain’s demeanor had been a little strange. 

Hongjoong was behind his desk when he stepped inside, as usual. 

”Here for the maps?” the captain asked, not lifting his gaze from the papers he was staring. Yeosang wasn’t here to practice navigation, but let out a hum one could interpret as an affirmation. He closed the cabin door and slipped to his usual spot beside the maps. He could pretend for a while and try to come up with a good way to get information from his captain. A moment passed in silence, but he found it comfortable. They didn’t always talk much with Hongjoong as they both focused on their work, but the quiet between them never seemed awkward, which Yeosang was grateful for. He spent the time absentmindedly staring at the compass he hadn’t bothered to open.

”Yeosang”, Hongjoong suddenly demanded his attention, making his head snap up in surprise. The other was still staring at his papers, not looking at him, but something in his demeanor had shifted.  
”Could you check these coordinates? Tell me what’s in there.”

Yeosang listened to the coordinates given and scrambled for his tools, trying to find the right spot from the map. It was not very hard. 

”That’s Port of Thur”, he replied.   
”Is that... important?”

He heard a chair creak as Hongjoong stood up. 

”It could be”, he replied as Yeosang heard his steps approach. He peeked up to see the captain beside him, looking at the map. He was holding a small journal. Yeosang waited for him to explain himself but that never came. So he had to ask, recalling something he had heard a few days ago.

”Jongho said you’re after some treasure”, he said.  
”Is that what we’re looking for?”

A look of surprise spread on Hongjoong’s face and he let out a chuckle.

”I guess I should have expected you’d hear of it sooner or later”, he stated.  
”And yes, we are after a treasure. Or rather...”

He opened the journal, as if to check something.

”We’re looking for something that will help us acquire this treasure”, he continued.  
”A key.”

”A key?” Yeosang repeated. It sounded sensible, if what they were looking for was a chest or had an armored door guarding it.  
”What is this treasure, exactly?”

It seemed like he couldn’t have a single conversation with his captain without ending up with even more questions than he had before. 

”I’m not sure what it is”, Hongjoong admitted. Not what he had expected.   
”But I trust we’ll know it when we see it.”

Yeosang frowned in disbelief.

”How can you be sure there is any treasure?” he questioned. Hongjoong did not seem concerned at all.

”I can’t, but I trust Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa. Yeosang bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to ask so badly, but something held him back.

”I heard of it from him”, Hongjoong explained.   
”And ever since we tried to track it. With him gone it became a lot harder, of course, I haven’t made much progress myself. But, I found this recently.”

He lifted the journal.

”And those are...” Yeosang trailed off.

”His notes”, Hongjoong grinned.   
”And here it says something about a key that’s required, along with the coordinates I gave you.”

Which likely meant the key would be located in Port of Thur, Yeosang concluded. 

”So that’s where we should go next?” he asked.

”Yes. We’ll have to change course.”

So they had a destination, for once. And an objective, even if they weren’t quite sure what exactly they were looking for.

”However, that’s a pretty large town”, Hongjoong stated, hunching over the desk with him.  
”We don’t know where in there the key could be, or who has it.”

Yeosang stared at the markings on the map. The one pointing to the existence of a city and its harbor, the coastline... and a small circle with an ornate cross. Hand-drawn, with a different ink from the rest of the map. Yeosang squinted to make sure he had seen correctly. There it was, staring right back at him. That very familiar sigil he had seen many times in his life.

“Captain”, he said. Hongjoong tilted his head expectantly.   
“Does the town have a temple?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you smell that? It's the plot approaching. Sorry for lack of Seonghwa.
> 
> You got this far, how about leaving a comment to brighten my day?


	9. In which a heist is planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, another chapter!  
> All the love you've given this fic is most appreciated <3

”Looks like we’re all here, good. Now, can I trust you all to pay attention and not grope each other while I explain the plan?” Hongjoong sent a stern look to his crew.

”The lack of faith you have in us is astounding, captain”, San jested, grinning.

”Not really, since I know you’re all horny little shits.”

”We’ll behave”, Yunho promised, lightly smacking San’s hands away from Wooyoung who let out a disappointed huff.  
”So we have a plan for something?”

”Indeed we do, or rather, one is forming”, Hongjoong grinned, reaching for his pocket. Yeosang had already seen Seonghwa’s journal, but the rest of the crew stared in confusion.  
”I recently visited Seonghwa’s cabin again. Turns out, he had hidden this surprisingly well.”

The crew looked at each other, wondering where their captain was going with this, with the exception of Yeosang.

”We had been talking of this treasure he had told me about, and turns out we need some kind of key for it”, Hongjoong explained.   
”I found these details from his journal, along with coordinates for its location. According to this, the key is in Port of Thur, so that’s where we’ll be sailing.”

That got some reactions out of the others, Yeosang saw excitement building on Mingi’s and Wooyoung’s faces.

”Isn’t that a bigger town?” San frowned, however.   
”A key could be anywhere.”

”True. Thankfully, we have another lead”, Hongjoong smiled, directing his gaze at Yeosang.  
”Thanks to our navigator.”

Yeosang tried his best - and failed - to not flush as everyone’s eyes turned to him. 

”Um, I noticed there was something marked on the map that was clearly not done by the original cartographer”, he said.   
”There was a symbol of the Temple of Light right next to the town. And the place is big enough to have a temple, so that could be a possible location for the key.”

A choir of impressed ”oh’s” erupted around him, as if he had found a decisive clue that would lead them right into a treasure’s doorstep. If he hadn’t paid closer attention, an extra marking on a map seemed more like a curiosity, just something someone would absentmindedly doodle while on the verge of falling asleep.

However, it was becoming increasingly clear that on these waters, coincidences and accidents were somewhat a foreign concept. And that sign had been on the map on purpose.

”It was just marked on the map?” Jongho questioned.   
”Do you think it was left there by Seonghwa?”

That was what Yeosang had considered briefly as well, but hadn’t had time to think about too much, as Hongjoong had wanted to tell the news to others immediately. It would make sense, as the sigil had not been originally placed there by the cartographer, but was a more recent addition. And the person handling the navigation before him had been none other than Seonghwa. Who had also kept a journal with coordinates to the place. A natural conclusion to draw.

”More than likely”, Hongjoong had apparently thought of it as well.   
”I have no idea why he never mentioned this to me, but it matters little now. What matters is, that we have to change course and plan how to get that key.”

That was going to be a challenge, Yeosang thought. In more ways than just one. Firstly, they couldn’t still be absolutely certain the key would be in the temple. And what he knew, Temples of Light were not small, they had several buildings surrounding the main temple to house the priests and servants. If they got lucky, it would look very similar to the temple Yeosang grew up in, however. In that case he could easily navigate inside the temple, once they would know where to look...

Look for a key, of which they had no idea what it would look like. 

”This is not going to be easy, is it?” it seemed San had thought the same as he did.   
”We have no idea, what kind of key we’re looking for, and we have no idea where it is in the temple... if it is in there in the first place.”

”And how are we going to get inside?” Mingi added.   
”None of us really look like someone who would just casually visit a temple. Do they even let common people inside?”

”They do”, Yeosang answered automatically. Six heads whipped around to look at him once again. He drew a breath, collecting his thoughts.   
”There are some public spaces in the temple anyone can get to, but I don’t think they would keep the key there.”

”And I doubt they’re going to let us just waltz in to the places closed from the public”, Yunho continued. 

”So we just sneak in”, Wooyoung shrugged, carefree.   
”Nothing our master thief hasn’t done before, right?”

He patted San’s shoulder, who let out a flattered hum.

”I guess I could do that...”

”The job is yours”, Hongjoong nodded.   
”But I think we can do even better. After all, we have someone with us who knows these temples.”

He glanced at Yeosang expectantly.

”You would know where everything is, right? Where they could possibly store the key? And how to move around a temple unnoticed”, he suggested, smiling knowingly. Yeosang blinked. The captain wasn’t exactly wrong. He had spent hours and hours sneaking around his home temple when he was younger. He had learned to avoid the guards, to sneak past priests and servants, to hide long enough for the High Priest to notice and almost raise the alarm. 

But this wasn’t the same temple. This was unknown ground, and he was far less confident.

”Maybe”, he nodded hesitantly.   
”I know the customs... and if the temple has a similar layout as the one I grew up in, I should know how to navigate once we get inside.”

”So in that case we’ll have Yeosang go in with San?” Yunho proposed.  
”Will it be okay with just two?”

”I can go with them as well!” 

”You’re too loud, Wooyoung”, San pointed out.

”I’m not! You’re mean!”

”And you’re proving my point.”

”Enough”, Hongjoong interrupted as Wooyoung and San made faces at each other.   
”We’ll see what the temple looks like when we get there and then determine whether we’ll need two or three people to sneak in. The port is large enough for us not to stick out, so we should be fine to have a slightly longer stop.”

”As long as our captain doesn’t go strutting around in broad daylight”, Yunho chuckled.  
”No offense, but you do stick out wherever you go.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

”We have disguises stashed somewhere, don’t we?”

Yeosang wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation anymore. He was too busy trying to remember what the temple he grew up in had looked like. The others were counting on him. He could not let them down.

_ Aurora  _ was a fast ship, but it still took them over a week to reach their destination. But when San called it, Yeosang was the first to run to the prow, to see the town silhouette get gradually larger and clearer in front of him. 

It was a shame they weren't here just to see sights, but it would still be a visit and he intended to take it all in.

"You're cute", Yunho chuckled beside him at his visible enthusiasm.

"Well you didn't take me with you last time", Yeosang reminded him with a pout.  
"I want to see things, even when we have a job to do."

Yunho let out a cute laugh, patting him on the back.

"Don't worry, we're not grounding you this time", he promised.  
"And there should be time for us to have a look around."

Yeosang couldn't help but smile at that. Even if that looking around would likely consist of them trying to form a solid plan for infiltrating the temple, it would be interesting and something he hadn't seen before. 

The first thing he saw was the actual port. And to him it seemed larger than the town itself. But Hongjoong maneuvered them carefully to the docks, to a spot that seemed like it was made for them.

"Alright, everyone", he called as they gathered to the deck.   
"Let's not attract too much attention. Keep your heads down, don't get in trouble and try to find out everything you can about the temple."

The crew replied with scattered affirmative noises and nods as they marched to get a change of clothes. Nothing fancy but cleaner than their work outfits, Yeosang noted as San tossed him another pair of pants. Something a regular person visiting town would wear and not stand out. At least that's how they seemed to him. 

"So, you're with me and Wooyoung", San informed him as they finally left the ship and Yeosang was enjoying his first steps on the docks. It was a mundane event, but his first of the sort.  
"So we can plan."

"And show Yeosangie what he's been missing", Wooyoung grinned. Yeosang raised his brows.

"Wooyoung is coming with us to the temple?"

"He's loud, but he's sneakier than the others", San sighed, as if admitting defeat.  
"So if there's going to be three of us, he's the best pick."

"Hey, I can be quiet too!" Wooyoung huffed with a pout.   
"And there is no one sneakier than me. Except maybe Sannie."

"I doubt the first statement… no offense, Wooyoung, but I don't think you can be quiet even when you try", Yeosang quipped.

"Don't you turn against me too…"

"You were the one keeping me awake while you and Mingi were having a romp at the quarters."

Yeosang remembered a few nights ago, how he had been stirred by the noise of Wooyoung very much trying to be quiet as he was getting busy with Mingi, and how he had failed miserably and Yeosang couldn’t un-hear all the high-pitched whines and heavy breathing in otherwise silent quarters. And judging by the embarrassed spluttering Wooyoung had thought he'd been much more discreet. 

”You’re telling me you were banging right there when the rest of us were sleeping and you didn’t even ask anyone to join in?” San tilted his head, feigning offense.

”You weren’t there!” Wooyoung huffed, his face flushed.   
”Because you had dragged Jongho and Yunho with you to Seonghwa’s cabin, remember? Yeosang was the only one there besides us and I thought he was sleeping!”

”I was. Until you woke me”, Yeosang deadpanned. 

”Actually, Yunho went to Hongjoong’s...”

”Can we not talk about your overtly complicated sex life, please?” Yeosang interrupted. San snickered and took his place in between Yeosang and Wooyoung as they walked, swinging his arms around both of their shoulders and pulling them close like they were supposed to play the part of a loving couple. Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong. 

”There’s nothing complicated about it, Yeosangie”, he hummed.   
”Besides finding comfortable places, of course. Since you’re not into it, we try not to disturb you too much.”

Yeosang responded with an eye roll, but he did appreciate the sentiment. While he did care for the crew greatly, and it was obvious they held a lot of affection for him as well, some of it potentially romantic, he was not sure how exactly he felt. It was the first time he was surrounded by so many people who had no qualms about getting close, being openly affectionate. And while Yeosang hadn't been very used to it - the only person to show any affection towards him had been the High Priest, who had raised him - he found himself liking it. 

For some reason, however, whenever he entertained the thought of having other than platonic feelings for the other boys, his thoughts moved to Seonghwa.

_ "I want you to be mine." _

Yeosang wasn't sure how he was supposed to interpret that. What did Seonghwa want from him exactly? 

He hadn't seen the man since their first nightly meeting, and while there had been other things for him to worry about, the questions kept pestering him whenever he had a quiet moment for himself. Who, or what was Seonghwa, what did he want, and what the hell was Hongjoong not telling anyone about him?

He was dragged out of his thoughts - quite literally - by San, who pointed forward.

"There's the temple."

Yeosang’s eyes followed San’s finger and indeed he saw a large, beautiful white building not too far away. It resembled the one where he had grown up in, but his home temple had been even larger. This would likely have fewer adjacent buildings with it. Which would make their job of finding the key easier, he concluded, sharing his thoughts with the two. 

”Wonderful”, Wooyoung rubbed his hands together.   
”You think we can just march right in?”

”Temples are open for visitors, so I see no reason why not”, Yeosang said.  
”However, it might appear suspicious if we go in now and return only after a short time... even very devout worshipers of the Light don’t usually come to visit more than once a week, unless there are special ceremonies.”

San hummed quietly, his brows furrowing in deep thought as he eyed the temple. 

”So we have to go in without prior knowledge of what it looks like from within...” he mused.  
”However, we should get a closer look at least from the outside. No harm in that, right?”

They slipped along the busy streets, dodging the crowds as they neared the temple. As they got closer, Yeosang noted that there was an unusually large number of people around the buildings, with many market stalls set close to the entrance. A sudden realization had his heart leap in joy. 

”We’re in luck”, he leaned closer to San’s ear.   
”It’s the Sun festival.”

”A what?”

”The Sun festival”, Yeosang repeated.  
”It’s a celebration of the sun, during the warmest time of the year. Which means there will be a lot of people in the temple, and we won’t attract any suspicion even if we visit multiple times.”

It was hard to keep track of time on the ship, but Yeosang knew approximately how long he had sailed with his friends, and that he had arrived on the island in early summer. He had no idea what day it was, but he knew the festival would last for five days.

”Wooyoung”, Yeosang called, getting his attention immediately.   
”Go ask someone which day of the festival it is.”

”Why me?” Wooyoung cocked an eyebrow.

”You look clueless enough that no one will question why you wouldn’t know”, Yeosang grinned. Wooyoung blew a raspberry at him, but slipped away from them to one of the stalls to ask the merchant. San looked after him for a couple of seconds.

”Is that important?” he asked. Yeosang nodded.

”The biggest ceremony is held at the end of the festival, on the last sunset”, he explained.   
”It means that there will be a big crowd, allowing us to slip in without anyone paying attention, and it means everyone in the temple will participate. Even the hired guards.”

A wicked grin spread on San’s face as he understood where Yeosang was going with his explanation.

”So there will be no one in the private quarters at that point”, he finished, Yeosang nodding with a small grin of his own. He wasn’t sure when was the last time he had felt this excited. 

Wooyoung came back to them, holding some baked goods which he practically pushed to their mouths.

”They looked really good, okay?” he huffed at their questioning looks, taking a bite of his own pastry.   
”And the merchant said this is the third day of the festival.”

That gave them time to check the temple from the inside  _ and _ to see what else the town had to offer. The sweet flavor hit Yeosang’s taste buds as he bit down on the soft pastry. Tasted like victory.

”Then, how about we head in to have a look around?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be a long-ish break ahead, since I'm heading north next week, not sure how much writing can be done while driving/sitting in a car. I'll try to get one more chapter out before that!


	10. In which a key is found and Yeosang panics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this looks a little off, I'm updating this on my phone.  
> Thank you for all the love again! As I said, I'll be away for a week so there will be a longer break before next update. For now, enjoy Wooyoung channelling Keira Knightley in the third Pirates of The Caribbean movie (you know what scene I mean, probably) 😂

If only a month ago someone had asked Yeosang for help with an intention to steal something, he would have refused. And had it been precisely to steal something from a temple, he would likely have reacted with horror. 

Apparently a person could change a lot in a short amount of time. The fact that he’d been picked up by a crew of charming pirates might have had something to do with it. Whatever had caused the change, it resulted in him being uncharacteristically excited to steal something. From a temple, no less.

They had a plan. Yeosang wasn’t sure whether it was the best plan that anyone could come up with, but it was something they could definitely pull off. And they would execute it tonight, on the last evening of the Sun festival. 

He would enter the temple with San and Wooyoung. He had taught the two the right type of greetings usually exchanged in the temple by visitors. He doubted they would even need them since the chances of someone talking to them was small, but it was better to be prepared and not raise any suspicion. They would blend in and at the right moment sneak away from the crowd, get to the unguarded private parts of the temple. The ceremony was always long and celebrations continued even after that, long into the night. They would have plenty of time to find the key. 

It was a solid plan with room for improvising on the off chance something went wrong. And Wooyoung kept insisting nothing would go wrong.

”If someone asks questions, you can distract them with all your knowledge and just batting your eyelashes a bit while we sneak ahead”, he grinned mischievously.   
”You’re pretty enough to take all the attention if necessary, and you saw that last night.”

Yeosang shuddered. Last night, which they had mostly spent on a tavern near docks, he’d been approached by _several_ guys, who attempted to get handsy with him. They even had to have Jongho physically pull one particularly insistent case off him and almost start a brawl as the guy was smashed into another table. The disgustingly poignant stench of sweat he had emitted had stuck on Yeosang for way too long. 

Discounting those unpleasant encounters, the night had been quite fun, however. Others had helped him to keep strangers off his skin and they had a good time drinking and bantering. They had been very careful not to say a single word about their plans. You never knew who could be listening.

”Are they going to check for weapons when you enter?” Mingi asked as they pondered what gear they should bring with them. 

”I don’t recall ever seeing anyone do it”, Yeosang mused.   
”But openly carrying weapons will draw attention, only guards are supposed to do it. Even with the crowd it might be risky.”

Wooyoung made a disappointed face.

”We can’t go in completely unarmed”, he said.   
”If something goes wrong, we might have to fight our way out.”

”That’s a battle you will lose before it even begins”, Jongho pointed out as he sharpened his sword. Yeosang had to agree. There would be way too many people, and he did not feel comfortable with the idea of killing anyone inside a temple. Even if he wasn’t exactly a servant of Light anymore, even a thought of getting to a fight in a sacred place didn’t sit well with him. 

”He has a point though”, Mingi said.   
”You should go with something you can easily conceal.”

”Daggers it is”, San hummed.   
”Mind if I borrow a few from you, Mingi?”

Yeosang armed himself with a dagger and a couple of throwing knives as well - despite having no idea how to really use them, as he had mostly just trained with a regular sword. From the corner of his eye he noticed Wooyoung dragging a dark long coat from somewhere and slipping it on. It was nothing like Yeosang had seen the man wear before, but he quickly understood what it was for, as he saw Wooyoung hide several pistols and ammo beneath the coat. 

”How many are you going to fit in there?” he couldn’t help asking with a disbelieving laugh as the flow of weapons disappearing under the dark fabric seemed to have no end.

”You’d be surprised how much I can fit in here without looking like a blowfish and being able to move easily”, Wooyoung grinned back.   
”Mingi, where are the smoke bombs?”

”Leave something for us, will you?” San laughed.   
”And indeed, where are the smoke bombs? Those would probably be the best for escaping anyway, so we all should have some with us.”

As they tried to find space within their clothing to fit all the hidden weaponry, Hongjoong and Yunho joined them.

”Are you guys ready?” the captain asked.

”Do we look ready?” San quipped.

”You look like you’re wearing too thick coats for this weather”, Yunho noted.

”We’re sailors, no one will notice”, Wooyoung waved his hand dismissively. Hongjoong chuckled, amused as he looked at the infiltration team.

”Well then, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page with this plan”, he said.

”We already did...”

”Twice.”

”I don’t care, I want to make sure”, Hongjoong asserted.   
”We need the key, and I’d very much like to get you three in and out of that temple unharmed and without raising the alarm and having the entire town after us.”

The crew let out a collective sigh, but Yeosang found himself agreeing with the captain. You could never be too sure. And even if it wasn’t his first time stealing something, this was very different from their usual methods. This wasn’t plundering a ship by intimidating another crew into submission, where Yeosang just had to raise his sword and try to look menacing. 

The others were counting on him. He was supposed to be the one to guide them once they were inside. He had to succeed.

" _I will stay with the ship. Yunho, Mingi, Jongho, you three will stay near the temple, try circling around a little to make sure the coast is clear. And Yeosang, San and Wooyoung enter the temple, blending in with the crowd."_

It was the easiest part. The beginning. All they had to do was walk in, and make sure no one would notice they were armed to the teeth. Okay, maybe it was a reach, but Yeosang was pretty sure no one else walking near them carried knives, daggers, pistols and smoke bombs in their pockets. Wooyoung's long coat looked both ridiculous and stylish, and the man carried it with incredible confidence, which masked the fact that it did look kind of shady. No one stopped them, no one asked questions, no one even looked at them funny.

So good so far.

They entered the temple courtyard, already packed with people. Shame they had no time to just look around, since the yard was beautiful, with a couple of fountains and a well-maintained stone garden. Yeosang was grateful they had the chance to have a look of it a few days ago, when they had first visited.

Now, he had to focus. 

He tried to look as nonchalant as possible as he glanced at the crowd. No one was looking at them, busy with anticipation for the ceremony. He had a decision to make. When should they make a move towards the path to private spaces? Now that a lot of people were on the move it would likely draw less attention, but there was a risk of them running into some of the priests or guards that hadn't arrived yet. If they waited until the ceremony started, the corridors would be empty, but at the same time they would risk someone seeing them slip away…

Yeosang steeled himself as he saw San glance at him, waiting for his sign. It would probably be better to risk running into a priest. He could maybe distract one long enough for them to knock one person out… and they would have more time to look through all the rooms.

"Ready?" Wooyoung whispered into his ear, Yeosang barely stopped himself from flinching. He nodded.

"Let's go."

" _When the time is right, we slip out of the courtyard and into the building where the priests' private chambers are located. We'll go through those first and then move to the storages."_

They zig-zagged through the crowd, trying their best not to step on anyone's toes. Thankfully the crowd got more sparse the closer to the next building they got. Wooyoung fanned himself with his hand dramatically. 

"Ah, the crowd got a little overwhelming? No wonder, this is the last evening after all."

They all jumped around to see a middle-aged, short man who had spoken, sporting a friendly smile. Yeosang recognized the cream robes decorated with golden threads. A priest. Somewhere quite up in the hierarchy, the more experienced and respected ones always had the very elaborate collar decorations. 

"A little, yes", San gathered his wits first and flashed his charming smile.   
"I didn't quite expect anything like this. It's our first time here."

"Oh?" the priest raised his eyebrows, delighted.   
"A first temple visit ever? No wonder you don't look familiar. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No. Just humble sailors passing by", Wooyoung replied.   
"But our newest recruit saw the festivities and convinced us to come see the last ceremony ourselves."

He gestured towards Yeosang, who cursed Wooyoung internally, but pulled a small smile on his face when the priest's eyes landed at him.

"I used to always go see the Sun Festival in my hometown", he said. It wasn't even a lie. It had been one of the times he had spent mostly out of the temple's private quarters, walking around the marketplace and temple courtyard and talking to as many people as he could, soaking in the knowledge and stories of what it was like outside the temple. It had been his favorite time of the year.

"So when I realized we made port here right on time, I had to bring them here as well, even if my friends here have no prior touch to the Light."

The priest kept his delighted smile as he listened to him. There was nothing in his face indicating that he would be suspicious of them.

"Better late than never", he said, looking at San and Wooyoung.   
"And there's certainly no better time to let the Light come to you than the joyous festival."

"Indeed", another voice joined in.   
"Especially this year, as the Light shines brighter than ever."

Yeosang turned his head to see another priest emerge from the corridor leading to private chambers. A cold feeling crept up his spine. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling he had seen this man before. But he couldn't quite place it. However, any familiarity at this point was most definitely _not_ a good thing.

"Oh?" Wooyoung broke the tiny silence.   
"Is this a special year or something?"

"Father Min", the friendly priest greeted.   
"He's a visitor himself as well, from the Grand Temple."

The cold feeling reached Yeosang's neck and exploded into full-on panic he tried desperately to hide, sliding his hands into his pockets and squeezing them into fists. A priest from the Grand Temple. From _his home_. Who would recognize him. It would all end here. He should have been more careful-

"Good evening to you", father Min greeted them as well. So far, his eyes did not linger on Yeosang at all. He said nothing. Did he not…?

He forced himself to greet back, and Wooyoung and San followed suit.

"As for your question, this year is indeed special", father Min looked at Wooyoung.   
"As earlier this summer, the Light claimed its new Spark."

Except it didn't. Yeosang thought he had gotten over it, but when it was mentioned, he felt a pang of guilt hit his chest. He expected father Min to turn to look at him any moment, with a gaze of loathing, disappointment or anything in between, but none of it happened. 

Instead, it was San who turned to look at him, thankfully very slowly.

"A Spark", he repeated, as if the information was new to him. Yeosang swallowed.

"I told you about it, didn't I? Every twenty years or so, a person chosen to be the Spark is sent from the Grand Temple", he tried to sound as natural as possible.

"To grant life, and prosperity to us all", the friendly priest finished.   
"One of, if not the most important rituals, only held when the High Priest calls for it and the new Spark has been chosen and finished their training."

The most important ritual which had been ruined at least twice a row, and nobody was none the wiser, Yeosang thought, keeping an eye on father Min. Why didn't he say anything? Did he truly not recognize Yeosang? Granted, he was likely one of the priests handling the relations with other temples, which meant he wouldn't likely have spent much time in Yeosang's close proximity. But there was no way he hadn't ever seen him before. Then again, Yeosang looked different now as well, with his hair grown out, ears pierced and clothes changed to ones of a sailor.

"The ceremony will begin shortly", the friendly priest said.   
"I hope you'll find it enjoyable."

"I'm sure we will", Wooyoung smiled.   
"We should probably rejoin the crowd soon."

Both priests nodded.

"May the Light guide your hearts, gentlemen", father Min nodded at them. It had been a while since he had heard that. It was a common phrase, usually used with goodbyes.

"And may it guide yours as well", Yeosang replied near automatically, earning an approving hum from both priests as they took their leave.

"Do you think they were the last ones to leave the private quarters?" Wooyoung asked when they were left alone.

"Well I see no one else coming out…" San tilted his head to the side, then glanced at Yeosang.   
"You think we can go? Yeosang?"

Yeosang jumped as Wooyoung poked his cheek.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He was not okay. He was _terrified_.

"We need to hurry", he hissed quietly, taking a quick look around to make sure no one was watching them, and then running right into the corridor. Two pairs of footsteps told him Wooyoung and San had followed.

"Yeosang, what happened?" San demanded as they reached the first door and he dug out his lockpick, quickly however realizing the door had no lock to begin with.

"Nothing happened", Yeosang claimed.   
"I want to get this done as quickly as possible."

It was technically true. Nothing had happened. _Yet_. There were two possible explanations. Either father Min had not recognized him, or he had and simply had chosen not to confront him right there and then. Which would mean he would plan to do it later. Likely was summoning guards already. 

Yeosang had never in his life wanted to run away so badly. But he had a job to do. They had to find the key.

" _The storage is close to the apprentices' chambers. The key is probably either there or kept by some high-ranking priest, that sounds most logical. And the most lavish chambers are usually at the end of the corridor."_

"They really don't use this storage much, do they?" Wooyoung hummed.   
"It's basically empty."

And with no keys in sight, Yeosang thought, trying to control his panic. They had tried to go through the storage and sleeping chambers as quiet as possible and they had been careful to not leave any traces of themselves. 

The larger bedchambers had locks, but they didn't hold long against San and his lockpick. He had opened three doors right away, giving each of them a room to look through. Yeosang could easily imagine the room he was searching to belong to the friendly priest they had encountered. It wasn't very flamboyant, even if all the furniture was of high quality. No extra trinkets or lavish silks to decorate. Instead, the bookshelves were brimming with expensive-looking tomes and journals.

It seemed fascinating, but likely wouldn't help him find the key. Unless it was hidden between books.

He moved to the bookshelf, going through its contents carefully. Nothing, there was nothing besides the books and some misplaced notes. This was not the room he was looking for.

He joined San in the second room, which was almost a polar opposite from the first. The person living in it was clearly not very organized. Every surface was filled with books, writing tools and shiny trinkets. It seemed a better spot for finding one.

"Yeosang", San startled him out of his thoughts.   
"Are you worried? The other priest was from your hometown, wasn't he?" 

How could he not be? Yeosang swallowed.

"He should have recognized me", he whispered.   
"But he said nothing. Do you think he…?"

"He might have, which means we should be prepared for a trap", San nodded, his face grim.   
"Or if you're lucky, he didn't and we should still expect that something goes awry."

Great pep talk, Yeosang huffed quietly. But San was right. They had to be prepared for the worst.

"Now, what do we have here…?" It sounded like San was talking more to himself, but Yeosang's head popped up regardless, and he took a step closer, as San opened a decorated box set on the table. It held several envelopes, which he lifted, taking his time to feel their weight.

"I think.." Yeosang's eyes widened as San opened a larger envelope, pulling out a key. It was quite large, it was a small miracle it had even fit inside the envelope without breaking it. Yeosang was quick to snatch the small letter San pulled out with the key.

_Keep this safe, no matter what. Never take it anywhere with you, there are many wishing to steal it._

That sounded like something they would be looking for. Yeosang looked at San, who was examining the key closely.

"Looks like it would fit a door, or a large chest", he surmised.   
"Do you think.."

"Judging from this, it's the key we want", Yeosang nodded, flashing the letter.   
"We got it now, let's go."

Wooyoung appeared to the doorway.

"Any luck?" he asked, peering into the room. And as he noticed the key in San's hands, his face lit up.   
"Ooooh, as expected from the master thief!"

San bowed theatrically and slid the key into his pocket.

"Now, we really need to leave", Yeosang stuffed the letter under his coat and closed the box.   
"I don't think we should go back to the courtyard…"

"There was a window in the storage", Wooyoung said.   
"And the fall is not high, if there's no one looking, we can leave that way."

Good enough, and at this point all they had to do was run to the ship and regroup with the others, Yeosang thought. Unless father Min had sent someone to apprehend them at the port…

There were still way too many ways this could go wrong. But he took a few quick steps out of the chamber, with San right behind him.

"Let's get out of here, now."

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My driving odyssey will start on monday. Pray that I won't crash into a reindeer or get eaten by mosquitoes.


	11. In which Seonghwa can't give a straight answer to anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, sooner than expected! Unlike I thought, I got a surprising amount of writing done on my trip. I also managed to crack my phone screen while climbing a fell (at least I can use my phone still, but ugh). Otherwise a great trip, during which I blasted ATEEZ songs in the car while my best friend who's not really interested in k-pop was stuck on the driver's seat. 
> 
> This chapter is a mess. I hope you enjoy it regardless! Thank you all, again, for all the kudos and comments <3

The fall did hurt a little, but Yeosang was pretty sure he didn't break anything as he landed. Wooyoung followed after him, much more gracefully and without any pained grunts. San, who had dropped out of the window first, helped him up from the ground. 

Yeosang took a quick glance around to check that they would truly be alone, unseen. His heart skipped a few beats as he noticed a figure getting closer from the shadows. However, the familiar voice right after soothed his nerves mildly.

"It's just me", Yunho lifted his hands as he noticed San tense up and reaching for a weapon.  
"Did you get it?"

"Yes. But we need to go before anyone notices", San replied curtly, tugging Yeosang's hand to get him to move. He was happy to comply. San seemed to have realized how much potential danger they were in. Yunho didn't ask anything either, just gestured at them to follow. 

They ran to the front, where the crowd had dwindled considerably. No guards on alert so far, Yeosang noticed. But they weren't on the clear yet. Mingi and Jongho were easy to find, and soon they were all on their way back to the docks. The whole time Yeosang expected a bunch of temple guards to pop out of anywhere to ambush them. Nothing ever came, and yet the dreading feeling refused to exit his stomach. It didn't leave even when he could already see Aurora and its sails in the distance. When he stepped to the docks. Only when his boots touched the deck of their ship did a small wave of relief wash over him. They did it. They got the key and got out of the temple, with no one following. At least that he knew of.

Hongjoong was right there to check on them.

"Did you get it?" he asked right away. San stuck a hand in his pocket, pulling out the key.

"I'm pretty sure we got it", he gave the key to Hongjoong who twirled it around on his fingertips, carefully examining. Yeosang wasn't sure if Hongjoong even knew what the right key would look like. But there hadn't been many other options and with the letter that had been there… he was sure they had gotten what they were looking for. 

Hongjoong seemed to agree, as he flashed them a satisfied smile. 

"Great work", he nodded.   
"Alright. No time to waste, let's raise the sails! We can rest when we have some distance!"

Maybe he had sensed that everything hadn't gone as smoothly as planned, even if his demeanor was still relaxed. Despite the exhaustion creeping all over his body Yeosang was grateful that they would be leaving instantly. He was quick to join Yunho as they got to work.

"You look nervous", Hongjoong pointed out as he steered the ship and Yeosang leaned on the railing, watching the port get smaller and smaller as they sailed away.   
"Did something happen at the temple?"

Yeosang bit the inside of his cheek. Even if it was just wanton paranoia, he should let the captain know. Just in case. 

"We ran into a priest from my hometown", he said, so quiet that he had to repeat himself a couple of times and cause Hongjoong some frustration.  
"I don't know, he didn't say anything.. but I think he might have recognized me."

Hongjoong looked at him in silence. Yeosang almost expected a 'what did I tell you', as he remembered how Hongjoong had warned him during their first meeting that being seen could mean trouble for him. But the captain seemed to have no intention of scolding him for being reckless. Besides, it had been his idea to send Yeosang to the temple in the first place.

"He didn't raise an alarm? Didn't look like he was suspecting you?" he asked instead. Yeosang shook his head.

"I couldn't really tell what he was thinking… he didn't say anything that would have suggested it, I think?" he tried his best to remember the conversation. No, father Min had said nothing strange or what would have given away his possible suspicions. He had simply greeted them and answered Wooyoung's question about the Spark ritual. Nothing more. 

"Then there is a possibility he didn't realize it was you", Hongjoong said.   
"People forget a lot of things. If he didn't see you a lot in the temple when you used to live there, your face might not be that familiar to him."

He was probably right, but Yeosang couldn't stop worrying. Not even when he returned to the crew quarters, others congratulating him on a mission well done and Wooyoung reassuring him as he expressed his concern.

"He probably didn't recognize you", Wooyoung said.   
"And besides, he's just a single priest and you're already gone at sea, there's nothing he can do about it."

Yeosang hoped he would be right. He had never wanted his gut feeling to be wrong so desperately.

The next day was clear, with no ships following them and the rest of the crew quickly returning to their routines. Yeosang did his best to keep up. Even with his hands full, he couldn't shake the feeling that this would come back to haunt him at some point. 

Everyone else tried their hardest to convince him they would be okay, so much he felt almost guilty for not managing so shed his worries.

"We'll be careful whenever we make port", Hongjoong promised him.   
"And there is no way they could ever catch you while we're sailing."

That he could believe at least. There was no way they could be ambushed on the ship. Aurora was the absolute safest place for him at the moment. Thankfully, they had stocked everything well while spending their days in Thur. They wouldn't have the need for another stop any time soon.

"If they know you're alive", Jongho asked him while they sat at dinner.   
"What are they going to do?"

Yeosang had tried to avoid thinking of it. 

"There has never been a public instance of a Spark running away", he said, putting down his spoon.   
"I'm pretty sure they would try to capture me and bring me back to the Grand Temple."

As there was no protocol of how to handle such a case, he expected that everyone would turn to the High Priest who would make the decision. 

Yeosang swallowed as he thought of the possibility of it happening. He did not want to face him. He didn't want to face the guilt of abandoning his duty, to see the disappointment in the High Priest's eyes. He would have to tell him he'd raised two consecutive failures, both him and his predecessor. He couldn't bear to cause the man so much pain. Not to mention what scandal it would cause when the word would get out. That the last two rituals had failed. Even if the sky wasn't falling down, it would cause an uproar. As the High Priest had taught him, the rituals had both real and symbolic meanings and effects. Both of them important. And such failure would mean both him and the man closest to a father figure in his life would be in serious trouble. There was no way either would escape the situation unscathed. Yeosang was sure there was no way he could even escape with his life. 

He had been doomed since the beginning, for no fault of his own. Maybe the High Priest would understand that and not be angry with him. But if - no, when - everyone would know what had happened… He would likely be sent back to the island to perish, if not get otherwise punished.

And the more Yeosang thought of it, the more he realized Hongjoong had been right when they had first met. He didn't want to die. Especially not now when he finally had gotten a taste of what life was like outside the temple. When he had people around him that he was comfortable with, who cared about him. 

Who would not let the scenario playing in his head happen, if the way Jongho squeezed his hand next to him was of any indication. Yeosang managed to flash the smallest smile at the youngest pirate. 

Someone was on his side and he couldn’t be more grateful. Hongjoong had promised to protect him, and the rest of the crew would follow. 

It was his turn to stay on the lookout at night again. Yeosang tried his best not to fall asleep, even when his body was screaming exhaustion. He had done his best to distract himself from his worries by working harder than ever, and spending his time listening to Wooyoung’s constant ramblings and debates with Mingi. Now that approach was creeping back to bite him as he struggled to keep his head up. 

It’s only a couple of hours, then someone else will tag in, he reminded himself. He had to stay awake for just that long and then he could sleep...

”Good evening.”

Yeosang almost tripped over his own feet. This time the voice was at least familiar.

_ He’s back. _

He turned around to see Seonghwa stand on the deck again, almost right behind him. All of a sudden he didn’t feel sleepy at all anymore, the other man’s presence putting him on alert despite him never having done anything that would suggest ill intent. 

”... can’t you show up without scaring me?” Yeosang breathed out. Seonghwa let out a low, warm chuckle, his lips curving upwards.

”I’m sorry, little starfish”, he apologized.   
”You weren’t looking at my way, and I thought it would have been more scary if I had stood silent until you turned around.”

”How did you even get in here?” Yeosang frowned.  
”And how did Mingi not see you last time?”

That had bothered him a lot. How did one just vanish into thin air? Seonghwa smiled, shifting his weight on his left leg slightly.

”I can be very... discreet”, he said.   
”And I know this ship inside out, so it makes sneaking in quite easy.”

Yeosang had no doubt of that, as Seonghwa had been sailing with Aurora and its crew for long. But for some reason didn’t do it anymore, instead choosing to let the others believe he was dead and mysteriously appear on deck in the middle of the night. Only to Yeosang. What was he, a ghost? And why was he doing this?

”What do you want?” Yeosang asked.   
”Why are you here?”

Seonghwa looked around carefree, his eyes lingering at the doors that led to the captain’s cabin.

”I left my journal here for Hongjoong last time”, he said.  
”I assumed he found it?”

Yeosang tilted his head. Seonghwa had left the journal that night? Then again, it made more sense than Hongjoong simply happening to find it among his belongings after going through them months after the quartermaster’s initial disappearance. 

”Of course he did”, Yeosang replied.   
”And we sailed to Thur and stole the key you wrote about from the temple of Holy Light.”

Seonghwa’s smile, which until now hadn’t really moved on his face, morphed into one of surprise and radiant joy. His hand rose to Yeosang’s cheek, caressing it affectionately. It took Yeosang by surprise but he didn’t flinch away. Instead, he felt the need to lean in to the touch but resisted so far, simply letting it happen.

”I knew you would notice the symbol in the map, little starfish”, Seonghwa sounded almost giddy as he spoke.   
”I marked all the temples I knew about there while I was still sailing with everyone. And now that I finally found out where the key was held, I knew it would only be a matter of time when you and Hongjoong would figure it out as well.”

_ You could have just told us outright _ , Yeosang thought for a moment but decided not to voice that particular complaint. Seonghwa’s hand stayed on his head, moving from his cheek to play with his hair absentmindedly.

”You got the key?”

”Hongjoong’s got it.”

”And you’re sure it’s the right key?” Seonghwa asked, suddenly growing a tad more serious. It was a thought that had crossed Yeosang’s mind as well. After all, they had no idea what the key was supposed to look like. But...

”There was a letter with it”, he remembered. And he had taken it with him as well, while San had snatched the key. He dug through his pockets for a while before getting hold of the paper, handing it over for Seonghwa to read. And feeling disappointed - but only a little! - as the man’s hand left his hair to fold the letter open. His eyes scanned the text intensely, like he was trying to decipher some secret message, even though the letter wasn’t longer than two whole sentences. But when Seonghwa got to the end, the satisfied smile formed back on his face.

”You got the right one”, he confirmed, slipping the letter back to Yeosang’s pocket. And the next thing he knew, Seonghwa had pulled him into an embrace, pressing their bodies together. Yeosang’s face hit the dark, silky fabric of his clothes and he squirmed a little to position himself. 

”You’ve done so well, Yeosang. I’m so happy.”

Yeosang frowned as he looked up to Seonghwa. It was clear that this treasure was important to him, but for what reason? There was so much that he didn’t know and it was truly bothering him.

”Please explain”, he said.   
”What is going on? What’s this treasure you and Hongjoong are after? And why did you disappear? They all think you’re dead!”

It was so confusing, as he was obviously being kept in the dark for reasons unknown. And it was starting to get on his nerves. Seonghwa had claimed him on the island, and hadn’t even explained that properly. What was Yeosang’s part in all of this?

”It’s a long story”, Seonghwa warned.

”I have nothing but time here, before San will come and take over the lookout duty”, Yeosang said sternly, pressing his hands to Seonghwa’s chest. For a fleeting moment it felt like something was moving beneath the fabrics.  
”At least tell me something.”

He heard a sigh, as Seonghwa seemed to contemplate whether to answer at all. 

”... it was not my choice to disappear. And I guess I thought it would be the best for now to let the others think I was dead”, he finally said quietly.   
”Better that than them coming to look for me and getting themselves in trouble.”

What was that supposed to mean? Was Seonghwa in danger? Yeosang tried to decipher the look on the man’s face, but it stood unreadable. 

”Don’t you think that’s selfish?” he asked.   
”They mourned you. They still do.”

”I know”, now he saw a flash of sorrow flicker in Seonghwa’s dark eyes.   
”I intend to fix this, but it will take some time... Yeosang, you must understand. I haven’t told the rest of the crew a lot of things. I realize that might have been a mistake, but back then... I wasn’t sure they would understand.”

Yeosang glanced at the doors of the captain’s cabin. Whatever it was that Seonghwa had not told the crew, he sure had told Hongjoong.

”The captain knows. And yet you don’t seem to talk to him, do you?” he said, knowing he sounded accusing. He remembered how Wooyoung and San had shared the information that Hongjoong and Seonghwa had been lovers. 

By the look of Seonghwa’s face, he had realized what he was thinking.

”Yes, Hongjoong knows. And he understands how I work. And while I’d love to talk to him again... I don’t want to get surprised by the rest of the crew. Not yet.”

Yeosang was slowly but surely becoming convinced Seonghwa was an idiot. A handsome, mysterious idiot. 

A handsome, mysterious idiot that gave very comfortable hugs, he noted as he realized Seonghwa had not let go of him. Despite his wariness, especially on their first meeting, he felt safe right now. Maybe it was because he knew it was the same Seonghwa his friends kept praising, who they loved dearly. Who their captain cherished. And who, he remembered, had told him would never harm something he’d claimed. Yeosang still was unsure what that claim would entail, but right now, it didn’t feel threatening. 

”Then why are you talking to me?” he asked.   
”You don’t even know me.”

Seonghwa hummed, smiling gently at him.

”I want to know you, Yeosang”, he replied.   
”And I knew I’d like you the moment I saw you on that island.”

_ Liked me so much you had to kiss me _ , Yeosang thought as his mind flashed back to his third day on the island, the feeling of soft lips on his while he was deliriously lying on the sand... He sucked in a breath as he felt his face go hot. 

”... what is the treasure you’re after?” he asked, prying his gaze away from Seonghwa’s lips before he would make irrational decisions. He needed answers.   
”Hongjoong said he wasn’t even sure what it is, or that there even is a treasure?”

Seonghwa finally moved from his spot, leaning away from him to look somewhere past him. For a moment he seemed lost in his thoughts.

”Maybe it’s a little misleading”, he admitted, to Yeosang’s surprise.   
”However, I did promise I would lead him to a treasure, as long as he helps me acquire something I’ve been after. And that’s what you stole that key for.”

Yeosang frowned. It sounded like a risky bargain. And despite Seonghwa disappearing without a word, Hongjoong still trusted him to keep his word. Which, admittedly, he had done, as he’d given them his journal. 

”Now that you have the key, we’re getting closer. However, I haven’t discovered the right location yet”, Seonghwa continued. Yeosang noted he still hadn’t said what exactly he was looking for. 

”What is it that you want to find?” he pressed. Seonghwa bit his lower lip, clearly reluctant to answer.

”It’s... it’s the reason for my current... less than favorable situation”, he slowly answered, his expression somber.  
”Little starfish... I don’t know how to put this, but... I am not exactly... I’m not like you.”

It was a strange thing to hear, even if Yeosang somewhat knew it already. He wrapped his coat tighter around him as the wind picked up. 

”What do you mean?” he asked anyway. He noticed Seonghwa shift again, and again, something moving under his clothes. What was it?

”... let’s just say that I’m not... human.”

That much was slowly becoming obvious. Humans did not give kisses that caused a man to breathe underwater, a small voice in the back of Yeosang’s mind said. 

”I see”, he breathed. What was he supposed to say? He wanted to know more, but something told him Seonghwa wouldn’t answer him. Not now, at least. The man was frustrating him, as getting a straight answer seemed such a difficult task. It reminded him of the way the High Priest had circled around some of his questions whenever he hadn’t wanted to answer.  _ You’re sometimes too stubborn and curious for your own good, dearest Spark. _

”Now, if you’ll allow me, I’m curious about how did your visit to the temple go, Yeosang”, Seonghwa’s tone had lightened up slightly. However, the question reminded Yeosang of his earlier worries. 

”I... I’m not sure”, he confessed.  
”We got in and out without any trouble, but... we ran into one of the priests of the Grand Temple. I’m not sure if he realized it was me.”

Seonghwa’s brows furrowed, ever so slightly. 

”You’re scared they’ll come after you”, he stated. Yeosang couldn’t help but nod. It was the truth. Seonghwa leaned in close, pressing their foreheads together. Another gesture that felt so intimate, but one that Yeosang didn’t really mind. It felt... comforting. It felt right.

”Do you remember what I said?” he nearly whispered, his breath gently hitting Yeosang’s face.  
”I claimed you to be mine. And that means I will protect you.”

Yeosang did remember. However...

”You’re not here with us”, he pointed out.   
”You said you’re not going to stay.”

”But you can call me to you”, Seonghwa smiled.  
”As long as you’re at sea, you can call me when in need and I will come to you.”

Such a strange guideline, but Yeosang again felt like it was something Seonghwa wouldn’t explain. 

”How do I call you?”

He felt soft lips press to his forehead. 

”I’ve given you all you need for that.”

As if on instinct, Yeosang reached for his pocket. Among a few coins and the letter, he felt a round shape. _The pearl_. Suddenly Hongjoong’s words made a lot of sense.

Seonghwa pressed another kiss on his forehead.

”I believe San will come to relieve you of your duty soon”, he said.  
”I should leave.”

Yeosang knew he was probably right, but he really didn’t want that to happen. There was too many questions left. And being so close to Seonghwa felt strangely good. Even if he knew much less than he wanted...

”Are you sure you don’t want to go visit the captain?” he tried to sound like he was joking. Seonghwa laughed.

”Do you know how hard it is to get Hongjoong to sleep?” he asked.

”From what I heard from Wooyoung and San, you were usually the one keeping him awake”, Yeosang retorted and was met with another amused laugh.

”What can I say? Our dearest captain can be quite... insatiable”, Seonghwa sighed exaggeratedly, with a teasing smile.  
”For now, I think I’ll keep my visits strictly between you and me, little starfish.”

Yeosang had registered the nickname before, but it was only now that he paid attention to it. He’d been called a lot of things in his life, to make it clear he was special. This one felt more affectionate than many of the other names. 

”You’ll return, right?” he heard himself asking.

”I will”, Seonghwa promised with a smile.   
”When I know where to guide you. And soon... hopefully I’ll be able to rejoin the crew and explain everything to you guys.”

Yeosang received one last kiss on the top of his head.

”Until next time, dearest Yeosang.”

He watched as Seonghwa took a few steps back, to the railing and gracefully jumped over it. Startled, Yeosang ran to get a look. He didn’t even hear a splash, despite the ocean being calm that night. 

The surface of the water seemed completely undisturbed, and there was no trace of Seonghwa. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forehead kisses are best kisses. Fight me.  
> I am also abysmal at writing anything remotely romantic.


	12. In which Yeosang is proven right (and he isn't happy about it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I considered naming this chapter "in which everything goes to shit" to reflect my feelings over Hongbin leaving VIXX, but I managed to calm down in time.)
> 
> This chapter was kinda difficult to write, but I'm excited for what will happen next... :) Enjoy!

Not a day seemed to go by without Yeosang getting poked or gently flicked in the face by someone whenever he got lost in thought. He was convinced a bruise would eventually form on his cheek. 

”Can you not?” he smacked Wooyoung’s hand away as the other was going for it again. 

”You’re drifting away again, Yeosangie”, Wooyoung defended.  
”And still claiming everything’s fine.”

”Everything  _ is _ fine”, Yeosang huffed, laying his gaze upon the armory they were sorting out.   
”I was just thinking about something.”

He had quite a lot of things on his mind. Everything Seonghwa had told him... and all the questions he’d left unanswered. 

Seonghwa was looking for something, and at some point had pitched the idea to Hongjoong, promising him treasure in exchange. How in the hell the captain had been convinced, Yeosang had no idea, but apparently Seonghwa had something up his sleeve that still had Hongjoong holding onto that deal. Yeosang suspected it had been made that time when Seonghwa had joined the crew, as the rest of them had no idea where he had come from. 

It bothered him to no end that Seonghwa had refused to tell him what exactly it was that he was looking for. Other than that it was obviously something he desperately needed, he had said something about a difficult situation. A cause for his disappearance as well, possibly.

And then there was the fact that, apparently, he was not human.

Yeosang didn’t know what to make of that bit of information. Of course, thinking back, it had been kind of obvious. No human could disappear and appear at will just anywhere, or kiss someone into breathing underwater. Or leave some tentacled being in the dark waters of a cave, to wait until a reckless pirate decided to dive in so they could hand him a pearl. Yeosang moved an ammo crate out of the way to get to the pistols.

However, if Seonghwa was not human, what was he? He certainly looked just like any other person, save for being so handsome Yeosang found himself thinking about his face so often it was embarrassing. He was not very knowledgeable in any other creatures or supernatural beings. However, from what little Seonghwa had said, he could probably narrow it down to everything related to the sea. Which was still not very helpful. 

There was that story about a mermaid’s kiss Mingi had joked about. From asking around the ship a little, Yeosang gathered that mermaids - and mermen - were stunningly beautiful creatures with human upper bodies, while the lower part was that of a fish. In some stories they were benevolent, but in most apparently they had the nasty habit of luring sailors into the water and eating them. While Seonghwa was undoubtedly good-looking enough to be a mermaid, he did seem to walk like a normal human. Then again, Yeosang hadn’t really paid attention to his legs, as the black flowing clothes he wore had covered them well. The thought of Seonghwa hiding a large tail underneath made him suppress a chuckle. Wouldn’t he simply flop around uselessly like a fish out of water if that was the case? And from what he knew, Seonghwa had not at any point expressed any desire to consume human flesh. Hongjoong probably wouldn’t have allowed that on his ship.

That seemed to rule out the mermaid - or rather, merman - option. And the rest of the sea creature options sounded even more far-fetched. This would be something he couldn’t find out himself, so he would have to sit pretty and wait for Seonghwa to return and explain himself. The other option Yeosang had was to corner Hongjoong and demand answers. But, as if sensing his intent, the captain had taken upon himself to do his best to avoid being left alone with Yeosang. Any time he went to the cabin for mapping purposes, Hongjoong either wasn’t present or made sure to bring in another crew member - usually Yunho - to chat with. And every time Hongjoong took over steering the ship, there were others around, so Yeosang never had the opportunity to voice his questions. If Seonghwa hadn’t himself told him that Hongjoong knew about his true nature, this at least would have confirmed it. 

Hongjoong knew what was going on, and was not willing to tell Yeosang, for some reason. And it was immensely frustrating. As far as he could see, there was no reason for the captain to hide anything from him anymore. And yet he did so. The only reasoning Yeosang could come up with was that Hongjoong was not aware of how much Seonghwa had told him already and was trying to protect his secrets for now. But even that seemed like a shaky excuse.

Yeosang let out a frustrated huff as he got done with sorting the ammo and moved on to help Wooyoung sharpening the swords, the other loudly voicing his boredom. The next chance he got, he would smack and curse out both Hongjoong and Seonghwa for being idiots. 

”We have to stop here”, Hongjoong said as they gathered on deck, San having noticed land in the distance. They were closing in on another port. Yeosang tried not to squirm in discomfort as others laid worried gazes at him. Despite them having sailed for weeks with no incidents, save for a few routine plunders, none of them had forgotten the possible threat of someone coming after Yeosang looming over them. 

”Don’t worry, this place is small and has no temple”, Hongjoong added, noticing their concern.   
”But I’d still suggest that you wear a hood or something, Yeosang. Just in case. And don’t go anywhere alone-  _ fuck _ !”

Their captain cursed as he had to do some quick maneuvering to prevent a collision with another, larger ship looking to make port. 

”Assholes”, he hissed, not to anyone in particular. Yeosang frowned along with the rest of them. What kind of an amateur steered their ship like that? Even  _ he _ could probably do better, and he had only tried steering the ship once or twice on the open sea, under Yunho’s guidance. He saw both Wooyoung and San throw a rude hand gesture at the crew members they saw on the other ship’s deck when it sailed past them. All they got in return were some prolonged stares.

”As I was saying”, Hongjoong huffed when he could take his focus off of steering the ship again and look at Yeosang.  
”You’ll be fine. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

As if he would even think of doing that. Yeosang nodded anyway.

It would be just a quick stop for one day. They’d restock on all the necessary supplies and that would be it. When the night would fall, they’d be back on the ship, safe. 

He would be okay. But he did indeed wear a hooded jacket (despite it being way too hot for this kind of weather), covering his hair just to be safe.

So he joined Wooyoung as they made their way to the town. Indeed it was small, and no temple or even any symbols of the Holy Lights anywhere to be seen. It put him somewhat at ease. Wooyoung seemed to agree.

”It’ll be fine”, he assured him.   
”Besides, it’s not like anyone even knows what you look like. You said that most have not even seen your face.”

”You can easily draw a person from memory”, Yeosang pointed out.  
”Or simply describe them well.”

”Nah, people still probably won’t put it together that it’s you they’re looking for - if they’re even looking for you in the first place”, Wooyoung argued with a carefree smile. Yeosang was less convinced but didn’t feel like dragging the conversation any further. He just wanted to get what they needed and run back to the ship. 

Wooyoung, however, insisted that they took a while to sit in a tavern. Besides, they needed more rum in the ship anyway, and that was their task. According to him, the barkeep would supply them a couple of bottles. Yeosang reluctantly agreed, despite his less than fond memories of the last time he stepped into such an establishment. But it wasn’t that late yet, so maybe it would mean less people who were drunk out of their minds and even less people trying to get handsy with him.

The tavern was surprisingly full. Wooyoung stated it was always like that, since most people stopping by were the passing sailors looking for drink and company. Yeosang followed his friend, tugging his hood a little to better cover his hair. Even when one voice in his head tried to convince him he would be fine, the unease in his stomach didn’t let up. 

There was no reason for him to worry this much. They were in a relatively small place, away from the temples, there was no proof that he had even been recognized back then, and even if he had, no guarantee that it would have led to any action taken to capture him. Yeosang found and quickly conquered a small empty table in a calmer corner. It would be fine-

He jumped when Wooyoung dropped a pint in front of him with a loud clunk. 

”There you go”, he said cheerfully, patting him on the shoulder.  
”Don’t worry, we won’t stay long. I’ll drink this and go get the bottles and then we can leave, okay?”

Yeosang nodded, staring at his mug. They would be out of here soon, he had no reason to fear, he repeated in his mind. No reason. He would be fine. No one here knew his face. 

As their mugs got emptier, the tavern seemed to get even fuller, more sailors marching in, loudly announcing their presence. One group took over a table right next to them. Yeosang wouldn’t have paid much attention to them but he noticed Wooyoung looked at them for a long time. Then he leaned closer.

”They’re from that ship that almost rammed into us”, he hissed into his ear. Yeosang frowned. He hadn’t even paid attention to the ship’s crew.

”How do you know?” he asked.

”One of them stared at us like an idiot, I remember his stupid hat.”

Yeosang let out an amused huff. Of course Wooyoung would remember something like that. As he carefully glanced at the other crew, he could make out some parts of their conversation. It’s not like it was particularly hushed, but the excess noise from the environment made it harder for him to follow.

”Is the pay actually any good-”

”It’s not just good, outrageous!”

”Sounds like a scam to me, they’re just going to leave us hanging.”

”I know what I heard”, one of the men asserted, his voice so low and deep it took considerable effort from Yeosang to make out what he was saying.  
”It’s a legitimate bounty to collect.”

Bounty hunters. Yeosang emptied his mug. He tried to calm himself down but he was dreading for whatever the men would say next. Wooyoung seemed to be done as well.

”Shall we?” Yeosang tried to sound nonchalant, to not attract attention and to not alert Wooyoung into thinking something was wrong. 

”Sure”, Wooyoung nodded.   
”I’ll go get the rum, you coming?”

Yeosang tried to listen in on the conversation at the other table as he stood up. The crew was talking all over each other, but he did hear a mention of _ pirates _ . 

Bounty hunters after pirates. They truly had dodged a bullet while making port, hadn’t they? The other ship had been full of people who would love to capture or kill them for profit, it seemed. He shuddered as he remembered their last encounter with pirate hunters. That time he had almost drowned... until it had turned out he couldn’t drown. Thanks to Seonghwa. 

The tavern’s air was getting uncomfortable. His chest felt too tight. He wanted out. They had to leave before the hunters realized two pirates had been sitting right next to them. 

”I’ll wait outside, I need some air”, he said, making his way to the door. Wooyoung frowned but nodded, strolling towards the bar instead. Yeosang tried not to run to the door but his steps quickened as the crowd got slightly more sparse.

The air outside was hardly any cooler than it had been on the inside, but his breathing eased considerably as he got out of the tavern. The entrance was on a smaller alleyway, with no one there save for himself and some drunk guy swaying next to him.

He hoped Wooyoung wouldn’t take long. They needed to leave, they had to warn Hongjoong and the others about the bounty hunters. They would for sure be after their captain in particular. They had pulled some flashy robberies recently. One ship had been loaded with expensive fabrics and exotic spices, which they still had with them, waiting for a better place to sell them in. Yeosang could easily imagine a pissed off rich businessman putting a bounty on their heads for stealing all of that. 

He stumbled as the drunk guy suddenly pushed against him. 

”Sorry beautiful”, the guy slurred, draping an arm over his shoulders. Yeosang frowned, annoyed. Where the hell was Wooyoung? Just his luck to stand outside a tavern alone, with a guy latching onto him the second he was alone. 

”Fuck off”, he spat quietly, pushing away which proved quite a difficult task when the guy was much taller than him. Apparently very used to having someone unwanted suddenly trying to get close, Wooyoung had instructed him to straight up reject everyone rudely from the start. It would usually make most go away, and if it wasn’t enough, a small threat of cutting something off would likely do the trick. 

Apparently he would have to resort to that this time, as the guy made no move to back off.

”Hey, easy”, he chuckled, his voice low as the tavern’s door opened behind them.   
”I just wanna..”

There was something in that voice that put Yeosang on edge. And very quickly he realized what it was. The guy was no longer swaying, and sounded  _ considerably less  _ drunk. Or rather, not drunk at all. He tried to swallow his panic down as the hand over his shoulders reached for his hood, trying to tug it down.

”Get off!” he hissed, once again trying to yank himself away from the guy and simultaneously keep his hood up. 

It was then that another pair of hands emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, grabbing his arms. Yeosang let out a yelp as he struggled against the hold, to no avail. From the corner of his eye, he saw the guy smirk triumphantly as he pulled his hood down.

”What’s wrong? I just want to see your face for a bit.”

Yeosang felt the panic spreading inside him, leaving his chest to take over his entire body. He trashed in the hold of some other man he had never seen appear, but who grunted and tightened his hold, as if trying to break his wrists. He heard several other footsteps as others took their places next to him and grabbed him, trying to keep him from squirming and breaking free. The man in front of him grabbed his hair and yanked his head up, carefully examining his face. Then his eyes lit up and his lips curved into a wide smile, filling Yeosang with dread unlike anything he had ever experienced before as the man opened his mouth to speak.

”Well would you look at that, boys. A birthmark near the eye. Just as described.”

There were way too many people trying to place their orders. Wooyoung huffed in frustration. While he was sure there wouldn’t be a single temple soldier sent in here to kidnap Yeosang, he had to admit even he felt a little uneasy. Yeosang’s fear of getting captured and sent back to the temple had rubbed off on them as well. Wooyoung did not want to lose his friend. 

He had wished Yeosang would have waited for him inside, where he could see the man. But on the other hand, Wooyoung had noticed how stressed the other had seemed. 

He happened to glance behind him as he waited, seeing the other crew’s ship heading for the door. That was a suspiciously short stay, who did that? Even he and Yeosang had taken longer with their drinks. Finally, it was his turn. The barkeep was ready for him, thankfully, handing him the bottles. Wooyoung reached for his pocket to pay the man.

Something seemed off.

Wooyoung wasn’t an idiot, he had noticed the other crew’s presence had unsettled Yeosang. He hadn’t had time to ask him about it yet, but his blond friend might have overheard some of their conversation and sensed a threat. He would need to get back to him quickly.

He quickly turned back at the barkeep and left the money on the counter. He grabbed the bottles and headed for the door. An uneasy feeling crept up his spine, up to his neck. 

He pushed the door open and stepped to the alleyway. There was no sight of Yeosang, or the other crew for that matter.

Yeosang would not wander off anywhere by himself. And the other crew had disappeared way too quickly. Wooyoung inhaled, trying to keep himself calm.

This was... a worrying development. He could only think of one possible scenario that had just taken place on this alley. Wooyoung turned to the street and ran straight towards the docks.

He had to get back to the ship. Now.

Before they would lose Yeosang.


	13. In which there's a reason to panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates within a week? Sorcery.  
> Thank you all so much for all the comments and kudos for the last chapter <3 
> 
> While I complained how the last chapter was difficult to write, this one basically wrote itself in just a few days! Enjoy!

_”A birthmark near the eye. Just as described.”_

_Eight little words that had no right to terrify him as much as they did._

_Never in his life had Yeosang ever hated being right as much as he did right now._

_He had been recognized at the temple. And somehow, these guys knew what he was supposed to look like. Down to the most recognizable detail. His goddamn birthmark. Yeosang had never hated it more._

_He struggled harder but there were at least three pairs of hands determined to hold him still, their grip getting painful._

_Where was Wooyoung?_

_”So this is the one?” he heard one of the men holding him ask. The one standing in front of him, still holding his hair, nodded, obviously very pleased with himself._

_”Has to be. Now if you’d hold still for a moment, pretty boy...” he reached into his pocket. Yeosang wasn’t sure what kind of torture device he would use to disfigure him next and he had no intention to find out._

_”Let go of me!” he screamed, fighting against his captors’ hold, getting nowhere. The panic was consuming him. He could not let this happen, anything but this! He couldn’t let them drag him back to the-_

_”Hold still!”_

_The grip on his hair tightened, he was sure some strands would get ripped off as the man yanked his head aside. A sharp pain stung on his neck._

_Had he just gotten stabbed? Yeosang blinked, still trying his best to squirm free. No, there was something else... he didn’t smell any blood. And he had seen Mingi stab one pirate hunter with a knife when they had that battle... the guy had died almost instantly. This had to be something else._

_As he kept on fighting back, he felt his body get heavier, his moves becoming sluggish. What had they done to him?_

_”There we go”, the man hummed, satisfied and took a step back, releasing his hair.  
" _ _Now, if you’d be so kind to come with us..”_

_His voice faded, as if Yeosang had been pulled underwater. His head felt heavy, eyes dropping shut despite his desperation to keep them open._

_This was... bad._

_Where were the others...?_

_The final thing Yeosang felt was his legs giving out, but everything went dark before he hit the ground._

Wooyoung’s lungs were screaming but he refused to slow down as he ran towards the docks. How had these guys gotten so much ahead of him? He had turned his back for like a few seconds only! And now they had Yeosang, Wooyoung was sure of it.

Yeosang had been so paranoid, he wouldn’t wander off alone, and Wooyoung would have likely ran into him already if that were the case. He cursed internally for letting the other out of his sight for even a little while, they should have stayed together. Whoever the bastards who had taken him were, they would likely still have tried to make a grab for him but at least Wooyoung could have helped him fight them off. How many guys had there been on the table? Four? Five? It would have been a lot, but Wooyoung could have shot at least a couple of them and Yeosang was already on par with most of them with his swordfighting skills...

The docks weren’t that far away but it felt like the distance had suddenly grown three times longer as Wooyoung dodged other people and kept running. Eventually, he could make out the ships in the distance. _Aurora_ was there. So was the other ship. The kidnapper ship. 

When he got closer, he saw the other ship’s crew at work, raising the sails. They were about to leave right away. All the more evidence, not that he needed any more.

He couldn’t do much alone though, this would become a chase... Wooyoung hoped all the others had already returned to the ship. They were supposed to only make a short stop after all.

He found Hongjoong in his cabin, the captain’s head snapping up as Wooyoung burst in.

”What now?” 

Hongjoong could immediately sense something was wrong. Wooyoung was loud and all over the place often, but rarely did he look so distraught as he did now. Not to mention the fact that even when Hongjoong tried to gaze behind his crew member, he saw no trace of Yeosang. He was almost afraid to hear what would come out of Wooyoung’s mouth when the younger drew enough breath to speak.

”They took him! They took Yeosang!”

... he had feared Wooyoung would say exactly that. Hongjoong willed himself into staying calm.

”Who took him?” he asked. A small part of him wanted to chastise Wooyoung for leaving Yeosang alone, but he bit the inside of his cheek and stayed patient. He did not know what had gone down, and wasting time on accusations and yelling at Wooyoung was a bad idea, when they were obviously in a hurry, if Wooyoung’s heavy breathing and sweating was of any indication. 

”That ship... that almost rammed into us”, the younger tried to catch his breath.  
”I think they’re bounty hunters or something. But I saw some of their crew at the tavern while we were there and as Yeosang stepped out ahead of me- I didn’t ask him to do that, okay? - they left right after that and when I got out, there was no crew and no Yeosang...”

That seemed solid enough to warrant suspicion, Hongjoong nodded. But Wooyoung wasn’t done, he gasped for breath.

”And now that I got here, they’re about to leave!” he exclaimed.   
”I saw them raising their sails already! We have to go after them!”

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes as he went through all of the information he’d just been given. Yeosang had, unfortunately, been paranoid for a good reason. It seemed like someone from the temple had indeed put a bounty for his capture. This for sure wasn’t just regular pirate hunters, otherwise they would have made a grab for Wooyoung too. 

They should have been more careful. They had simply presumed their little stunt at the temple wouldn’t draw attention, or that the matter would be forgotten in the few weeks they had spent at sea. Looks like they had been dead wrong. The temple really wanted their Spark back, bad enough to tip off bounty hunters. Which probably meant it had not been made an entirely public order for capture, a voice in the back of Hongjoong’s head noted. 

However, it mattered little now. They had a crew member to rescue. And Wooyoung’s yelling had drawn the attention of the rest of the crew, who until this point had gathered below the deck. Hongjoong noticed them at the door, peering inside. 

”What’s going on?” Yunho asked. Wooyoung turned around on his heels.

”That ship of assholes kidnapped Yeosang!” he near-screamed. Hongjoong stood up as he watched everyone’s faces fall into looks of horror. 

”How? You weren’t supposed to leave him alone!” San snapped, glaring at Wooyoung, who returned the look right back.

”I didn’t! He went ahead without asking while I was busy! And it was only for a second!”

”Enough!” Hongjoong interrupted before things would escalate into a full-on shouting match. Everyone froze.  
”We need to give chase! They’re about to leave already and we’re wasting time! Hoist the sails!”

Yunho was the first to move, as he pivoted around and ran to execute the order, Jongho and Mingi quickly following suit. San and Wooyoung spent another second glaring at each other before they ran back to the deck as well. Hongjoong swiped his hat from the desk, putting it on and checking for the small box in his pocket. Even if the other ship was already on the move, they would likely catch them. _Aurora_ was slightly smaller and a lot faster. 

As Hongjoong ran to the deck, he heard something. A sound he’d encountered a couple of times in his life. He doubted it was actually that loud, but for some reason right now, it felt almost deafening.

 _Whoom_.

He recognized it as the sound of fabric catching fire.

As he looked up, he saw another flaming arrow hit their sails. He turned around to see the bounty hunters’ ship on the move, and could see a man standing right there next to the railing with a bow. 

He should have seen it coming. He should have expected something like this. But he had not. 

Hongjoong turned back around to see the sails of his ship in flames. 

His head felt heavy. So did every limb, every single bone in his body. Yeosang groaned as he struggled to get his eyes open. When he eventually did, he was met with darkness. Unhelpful. Vaguely he felt the floor move beneath him again, but this time he wasn’t sure whether it was a consequence of nausea or an indicator that he was on a ship once more. Or both. 

After getting his limbs to work and managing to fight off the urge to throw up, Yeosang pulled himself to a sitting position and reached forward, trying to make out where he was. His fingers quickly met metal. Bars.

He was in a cage. _A fucking cage_. 

Through his groggy mind, panic struck again as Yeosang remembered what had happened. They must have drugged him or something... the last thing he remembered doing was squirming in the grasp of at least three guys on the alley, and one voice pointing out the birthmark on his face. A recognizable feature. One that people looking to capture him would know to look for.

He tried to feel his surroundings some more in the darkness, to map out how much space he had. Quite a lot, it turned out. But the iron bars were surrounding him in three sides, only on one side did he finally meet the regular wood of a ship. 

Yes, he was now certain that he was on a ship. Quite close to the bottom of it, he deduced, as he could hear the splashing of the waves faintly outside and beneath him. 

Another wave of nausea hit him as the floor swayed and he slapped a hand in front of his mouth. Whatever it was that they had knocked him out with must have messed up his body, he had never felt sea sick before. Not even in the beginning when he joined his crew. 

Speaking of the crew... 

Wooyoung must have noticed he was gone by now. And he would have alerted Hongjoong and the others. Maybe they would have realized who had taken him and come to the rescue. He couldn’t have been unconscious for long, could he?

He heard a hatch open somewhere above him. It was far away, but enough to light up at least some of the place. He could finally see the iron bars keeping him captive, as footsteps moved down some stairs, getting closer, carrying some kind of a flickering light source. It turned out to be a simple lantern, as the steps got closer and the light filled the room, allowing Yeosang to see the person approaching. 

The man was quite tall, maybe in his late thirties, his features mostly unremarkable. But Yeosang recognized it as the man who had first approached him in the alley, who had recognized him, and then proceeded to drug him. He leaned away, positioning himself against the wall as the man stopped in front of his cage, regarding him carefully. 

”Ah, finally you woke up”, the man hummed, satisfied.  
”I guess the dose we gave you was a bit too big, you were out for the whole day.”

So long? Yeosang glared at him, waiting for him to keep talking. 

”How are you feeling?”

What kind of a kidnapper asked questions like that?

”Why do you care?” Yeosang spat. The man chuckled, with a surprising lack of malice. 

”Look, it’s nothing personal, kid, just business. And I need you alive to get my money”, he explained.   
”It was emphasized that you have to be delivered in one living piece. Apparently you’re not just any run-of-the-mill pirate. Usually with those the law doesn’t care whether you snatch them dead or alive.”

Yeosang frowned. He knew full well who it was who wanted to capture him. But it seemed like this man had no idea who he was working for. Maybe it was for the best... he certainly wouldn’t tell him. However, he had to know what the man knew.

”Who sent you? And how did you... how did you know what I even looked like or where I was?”

The man shrugged.

”Don’t know the name, some important rich guy put a bounty on you. But there was very detailed information of what you looked like, as well as a description of several other pirates you’ve been seen with and the ship you’re sailing with. All we had to do was tail the right ship - which wasn’t easy, you know. You were indeed tricky to find, but then we saw you and those other pirates described to us standing on the deck when we made port.” 

Yeosang chewed his lip as he realized what truly had happened after their visit at the temple. While father Min had not sent any guards after them, there obviously had been someone at the docks tailing them. They had been watched. Memorized. They know who he was with, what their ship looked like. His whole crew was in danger. 

His crew...

”You know you’re screwed, right?” he asked, leaning his head against the wall, feeling the nausea finally leaving his body at least somewhat.  
”My crew will be after you. They’ll blast you into bits and straight to Davy Jones’ Locker.”

He was sure of it, even if he was feeling guilty that he had compromised their safety so gravely. 

The bounty hunter let out another amused chuckle, but as he leaned against the bars, Yeosang saw his smile grow into something slightly more sinister, making something twist in his stomach.

”I did expect they would try”, the man nodded.   
”And while a group of generic pirates would have been a very tempting catch as well, you’re the one that has an outrageous bounty on your pretty head, so I chose we focus on you. And we were in luck indeed, as you walked straight to our lap.”

He truly had done that, hadn’t he? Yeosang grimaced. He had been a complete idiot. If only he had stuck with Wooyoung the whole time... no doubt the hunters would have tried to kidnap him regardless, but at least he wouldn’t have gone down without a fight. They could have killed or at least outrun them. 

He would have to apologize to Wooyoung... if he ever saw him again. No, he _would_ see him again. They would come to save him. 

”As I said, they will come after me. After _you guys_ ”, Yeosang asserted.  
”Hongjoong isn’t very forgiving, you know. And you already almost hit our ship earlier, it put him in a sour mood.”

A look of surprise spread on the bounty hunter’s face. 

”Kim Hongjoong? The captain of _Aurora_ , the ship full of walking corpses?” he asked, leaning heavier against the bars, as if trying to push past them into Yeosang’s space.  
”You look much more alive than that, I have to admit.”

Yeosang rolled his eyes.

”Well, looks like you’ve been sailing under a very wanted captain as well”, the hunter continued, tilting his head thoughtfully.   
”I guess we could wait until they arrive and get your captain as well, there’s some good sums to get from his capture, after all... though that will take a long while, I suppose.”

Yeosang frowned. He didn’t want to ask. 

”What do you mean?” he did anyway. The sinister grin placed back once again. 

”I told you, I expected that your crew would try to save you, and your ship seemed like it would be quite fast. So, we had to at least slow them down. Fortunately, we had just the tools for that.”

Yeosang swallowed. What was that supposed to mean?

”Some flammables and a simple bow and arrow can go a long way, you know?” the hunter explained.   
”We set fire on your sails. It will take a good while to get those replaced... assuming they managed to put out the flames before they burnt down the entire ship.”

The dread spread inside him with every word he heard. Yeosang’s hands curled into fists as he dug his nails to his palms, trying to keep himself calm. 

He was too far away from the others. At least a day away, assuming the man wasn’t lying to him. No, Yeosang was certain he was telling the truth. There was no reason for him to claim otherwise, was there? He was already captured, and this man and his crew were only after profit. 

But it didn’t make him feel any better. It meant that he was too far away for _Aurora_ to catch up with them anymore, even if Hongjoong could deduce where he was being taken. Which, likely, was the Grand Temple, Yeosang thought and shivered. Which meant he would have to come up with something himself, make his own escape or at least try to slow the hunters down somehow...

”I hope you’re not trying to think of doing something stupid”, the hunter said, as if sensing his thoughts. Yeosang’s eyes snapped up to his captor. His face was completely neutral.

”As I said, it’s simply business for me. But, let me remind you that I am definitely the friendliest face you’ll see on my ship”, the hunter said, pulling a key from his pocket. It looked like it could fit the lock of the cage he was kept in. 

”However, aside from keeping you breathing and your face unharmed so you can be recognized by the person we’re delivering you to, I don’t care what happens to you. If I see you try any silly escape attempts or cause trouble, this key might just end up in my crew’s hands. I’ll doubt they’re anywhere near as nice as me, considering we’re spending a long time at sea...”

Yeosang didn’t need to hear the end of the sentence to know what was being implied. He simply stared impassively, not bothering to give a response. How much trouble would he even cause from inside the cage? 

The bounty hunter seemed to take his silence as a sign of understanding his place, as he hummed approvingly.

”Everything’s clear? Good. I’ll send someone to bring you some water soon”, he promised as the key returned to his pocket and he turned around, walking away and taking the lantern with him.

As the darkness surrounded him again, Yeosang curled up against the wall. 

What would it be like to simply give up? To accept his fate, play nice and pliant and wait until he’d be brought back to the temple? To face the High Priest and his disappointment. His wrath. The latter was such a foreign concept. He never recalled the High Priest getting angry, not to him at least. Simply disappointed. Somehow, it was even worse. He had already let the man down... and now would have to face it. 

He would definitely get sent back to island, maybe with some extra punishment on the side. He would stay there again, waste away into nothing. 

Once it had been a fate Yeosang had been trained to accept. However, lately he had been having increasing trouble in doing that. 

A small voice inside him that sounded quite a bit like his captain reminding him that he was not ready to die just yet. 

He had to find a way out. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More was supposed to happen in this chapter, but... I decided to leave some stuff for the next one. Sorry to keep you all on your toes, rescue is coming I swear ::D


	14. In which some meet a sticky end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I don't even know. What is this update speed? Do NOT expect this to continue, however, uni stuff is starting again... 
> 
> Thank you again so much for all the love you've given to the last chapter <3 
> 
> I have a quick question for you all in the end notes, btw, please check that out after you're done reading the chapter! Enjoy!

Yeosang played nice for the night. And the next day. In fact, he barely interacted with the few people that came down to his cage. While his rebellious side urged that he should be doing more to escape, he felt that the bounty hunter who he had spoken with - the captain of this ship, he had reasoned - would go through with his threat. And judging by the way some of the crew members who came down to visit him leered at him, he wanted the cage door to separate him from them for now. 

So instead of ruffling any feathers or trying to see if he could bend iron bars with his mind or find weak spots from the wooden ship floor, he focused on gathering every little bit of information that he could. Not that it would necessarily help him escape, but it would likely be useful to know his surroundings at least. 

The crew of _ Zealous _ \- he had learned the ship’s name fairly quickly - seemed to be quite a large one, as during the day he had been visited several times, but each time it was different men bringing him water or some scraps to eat. Yeosang kept quiet, took what was given without complaining or sassing and even put up with some of the more uncomfortable comments about his face or body that he got a couple of times, simply glaring back. Instead, he tried to pay close attention to what the men were discussing. The silent treatment proved to be surprisingly effective, as the conversations carried on like Yeosang wasn’t even there. 

He didn’t get out much that would help him, unfortunately. But what he did find out was his time limit. 

They were still pretty far away from the Grand Temple. It would take at least two weeks to reach the place, assuming the winds were favorable and there would be no delays. It meant he had two weeks to free himself. It sounded like a lot, but then again, there was not much he could do inside a cage with no weapons. He would require a different kind of plan.

Part of him hoped that his friends would come to rescue him, but he knew better than to simply sit tight and wait. It would not happen, unless he would manage to slow the hunters’ ship down considerably. As the captain had said, if they had burnt down  _ Aurora _ ’s sails, getting them replaced would take time. Precious time that granted the hunters a huge lead. Yeosang bit his lip as he ran through his options in his head. 

He couldn’t do much without a weapon. Like any professional kidnapper would, the hunters had taken his sword and pistol, and the few daggers he had borrowed from Mingi and forgot to return. He was left with nothing but his clothes, not even something small to pick a lock with. Not that he even knew how to do that. He was stuck.

A very tiny part in him was getting desperate enough to actually risk getting seriously hurt. To actually rile up the crew, to make the captain go through with his threat and try to use that to his advantage. Right after the thought crossed over his mind, his more reasonable side reminded him that it would likely not end well for him. These guys weren’t stupid, that much was clear. An attempt of escaping like that would probably result just him getting brutalized, which was not something he was looking forward to. 

For the fifth time today, Yeosang went through every single pocket in his coat and pants, trying to find any small object that could possibly help him in a situation this hopeless. 

When he got to the inner breast pocket, his fingers met a smooth surface of a round object. 

That’s right, he still had the pearl with him. Yeosang pulled it out. Even in utter darkness, the pearl seemed to shine as he opened his palm. 

Both Hongjoong and Seonghwa had told him he should keep it with him, to use it to call for help when he was in trouble. Yeosang wanted to smack himself for not thinking of it sooner. 

Seonghwa would come for him, right? He could appear wherever he wanted, he would find him, sneak aboard on _ Zealous _ and help him out. Yeosang was certain Seonghwa knew how to pick a lock or even steal the key if it came to that. Silencing a watchman or two and then stealing one of the boats to escape during the night would be a piece of cake. What he’d have to do next was a bit more challenging, as he had no means to contact his friends and they would have no idea of where he was, but he reckoned Seonghwa could also help with that by getting a message to Hongjoong. He could work out that later, first he needed to get out.

And for that, he needed to figure out how his little ticket to freedom even worked. 

Seonghwa hadn’t said anything about how to actually use the pearl, only that Yeosang would need it to call for him. But how did it work? He spun the pearl around on his palm. Was just willing something into happening enough? Or was he supposed to talk to it? 

He glanced around, even though in the darkness it was a meaningless gesture. There was no one else down here but him. So he could try it without fear of getting caught. Not that he was particularly concerned about the hunters catching him in the act of talking to _a_ _pearl_. They would just likely assume that he was going crazy. 

No harm in trying. He brought the pearl close to his mouth.

”Seonghwa?” he whispered. For a moment he felt like an idiot. What if nothing would happen? But Seonghwa had assured him it would work... he wouldn’t lie to him, right?

”Please help me. I’m... I’m trapped”, Yeosang continued.  
”I’m on a ship, _ Zealous _ . They captured me, they’re- they’re going to take me back to the temple.”

He had no idea if Seonghwa would actually hear him, or whether he would simply sense that Yeosang needed him. But it didn’t hurt to tell as much as he knew, in case the first option was true. 

”I can’t get out of here on my own... I don’t know how far the others are, but there’s no time. Please, Seonghwa, please save me.”

His hand clutched the pearl tight as desperation bled into his voice. This was pretty much his only hope. Only thing he could come up with that would help him escape relatively unharmed. All he needed was Seonghwa to hear him. 

Yeosang startled as he saw a sudden, faint glow erupt from the pearl. It was brief, brief enough for him to think he had imagined it at first. But soon a calm feeling spread inside him and he relaxed against the wall, slipping the pearl back to his pocket.

He had been heard. Seonghwa would come for him. He was certain. 

The night and morning were again, quite uneventful. Yeosang tried to stay on track of what time of day it was, which was slightly challenging when there was little to no natural light. The visits of the crew members made it a little easier, thankfully. Even if there weren’t any conversations between them, Yeosang could easily deduce what kind of schedule they operated on. What time they had breakfast and so on. 

How long would it take Seonghwa to find him? He would arrive during the night again, Yeosang was certain. 

The day passed slowly, there wasn’t much for him to do to pass the time. However, he was surprised when one of the men who brought him food in the evening actually stayed with him. Yeosang tried not to squirm under his gaze as he ate. 

”Why does this guy want to get you so bad?” the man suddenly asked. Yeosang frowned as he chewed down the last piece of bread he was given. The crew, captain included, truly had no idea. So the High Priest had made nothing public yet. He didn’t know if it was more relieving or insidious. 

”That’s none of your business, is it?” Yeosang retorted. The hunter seemed surprised, like he hadn’t expected him to answer. Which, given his decision to stay quiet until now, probably was actually unexpected.  
”All you care about is getting your money, isn’t that right?”

”I can still be curious”, the man shrugged.   
”Since they’re apparently so adamant about getting you back alive as well. Usually with pirate bounties it doesn’t really matter if you capture them alive or dead, as long as you have some proof. Did you piss off some nobleman so bad they want to personally kill you or something?”

... if he was honest, it wasn’t  _ that _ far from the truth, even if the High Priest wasn’t of noble birth, but rather someone who had earned his status through his service and been chosen by other priests of the Grand Temple. But Yeosang was sure he had angered the man severely by what he had done... even if it wasn’t really his fault. If he didn’t get out of here, he would have to indeed face him again, and he wasn’t sure he could handle it. Or being sent back to the island. 

”Something like that, I guess...” he mumbled back, not really knowing why. There was no reason to tell the bounty hunter anything. However, some company, even someone who had kidnapped him, felt like a nice change of pace from the nothing of the last two days and nights. At least this guy wasn’t listing all the ways of how he wanted to ravish him right in front of him, for now at least. 

”... is it nighttime?” he asked, brushing his hair back to keep it from falling on his face, and failing miserably. 

”Sun is setting”, the man replied, nodding.   
”We’ve had good winds these days, it shouldn't take us more than ten days to get to the spot we’re supposed to drop you.”

Yeosang grimaced. He didn’t want to think of it. 

”Where are you even taking me?” he asked, despite knowing the answer. 

The man opened his mouth to reply but the words didn’t have time to come out as suddenly, the entire ship jolted violently. Yeosang was thrown against the bars of the cage. He scrambled a bit to find his footing, rising up from the floor to stand. 

”What was that?” he asked. The hunter had stumbled around quite a bit as well from the sudden impact. 

”Hell if I know”, he huffed, clutching the lantern he had almost dropped. Yeosang could hear lots of shouting voices from the upper decks, as well as hurried footsteps. 

At the same time he noticed the ship was not moving anymore. 

Someone ran down the stairs. 

”Seonghun!” another hunter stood there, throwing something for the other - Seonghun, Yeosang now knew his name.   
”Get the pirate out of the cage and bring him up!”

”What happened? Did we hit a reef?” Seonghun yelled back as he caught the thrown object. The key to the cage. 

”I don’t know what we hit, but we’re not moving anymore and the captain is not risking our golden goose here. Now hurry up!” the other replied before running back upstairs. Yeosang followed as Seonghun stepped to the cage door, unlocking it.

”Get out. And no tricks or you’re going to have a very bad time.”

It was a chance to escape, but Yeosang decided to play nice for a little longer. Seonghwa was coming for him. And if there would be some kind of havoc on the deck, he could use it to his advantage. 

”I’ll be good”, he promised, walking ahead of Seonghun, up the stairs and through the lower decks. Even when the sun was setting, the light suddenly assaulting his eyes as he finally got outside was near blinding, causing him to shield and rub his eyes. 

There was indeed a small chaos going on, with the crew running around, accompanied by frustrated shouts. Yeosang was guided to the upper deck, beside the captain who was standing next to the helm. 

”No use”, he heard the helmsman complain.  
”We’re stuck.”

The captain was frowning so deep Yeosang was sure his eyes would disappear entirely. 

”There’s not supposed to be any reefs or shoals here”, he grumbled. Yeosang tried not to smile in spiteful glee. This would truly slow them down, he figured. Enough for Seonghwa to find him, and for  _ Aurora _ to get closer. 

However, his joy didn’t last for long as the ship jolted again, causing him to stumble and almost fall once more. This time, however, it wasn’t just that. Yeosang could feel it from his spot, and by the growing looks or horror on the other men's faces, they could too. 

Something was moving beneath the ship. 

”It’s not a reef”, Yeosang heard Seonghun whisper. 

He barely had time to react when the ship moved violently again and he scrambled to get a hold of the railing. And got soaked with seawater right after when a massive splash hit him and the ship. He wiped his face and looked up, forgetting to breathe for a while when he saw them.

Huge, jet black tentacles rising high from the water, surrounding the entire ship. 

He heard the panicked screams of the bounty hunters before they came down with force.

”KRAKEN!”

Were it not for the fact that one of them was in grave danger, Yunho would have insisted that they slowed down for the night. It was dangerous to sail like this, especially on routes they weren’t so familiar with. But they needed to get Yeosang back, and that meant no stopping. He glanced behind him, seeing Hongjoong on the helm, where he had stubbornly stayed almost the whole time, only leaving for a few hours sleep... after Yunho and Jongho had to forcefully drag him to his cabin and almost tie him down. 

Wooyoung wasn’t doing much better. Yunho knew his friend was blaming himself for what had happened to Yeosang. And it came with the unfortunate side effects of neglecting sleep and barely eating. This couldn’t go on for long. 

While they hadn’t expected the bounty hunters to set their sails on fire, replacing them had gone by surprisingly quick, with some extra help from the Dead Crew. After that they had gone ahead with full speed, heading towards the town hosting the Grand Temple of Light, as Hongjoong had been certain that’s where Yeosang was being taken. It was a mere guess, but there wasn’t much else to go by. Yunho bit his lip as he tried to ignore all the uncertainties in their plan. While  _ Aurora _ was a fast ship, the hunters had a big head start, so unless they had faced some kind of delay, the situation would start to seem really hopeless really soon. 

The light was slowly increasing. The sun would rise soon. 

”Hey!” Yunho’s head snapped up as he heard San shouting from up above, the smaller man had climbed up to the mast again.  
”There's something up ahead!” 

He glanced ahead and sure enough, he could see it as well.

Fires, slightly above water. Still smoldering remains of a ship. He ran to the prow to get a better look. By the sound of the steps, someone else had joined him. Wooyoung. 

” _Whoa_.”

There was barely anything left, and even those small parts were steadily sinking. The same, however, could not be said from the bodies of dead sailors floating. Yunho’s breath hitched. Not a single survivor? He glanced around, trying to make out any figure still moving but coming up short. 

”Wait-” he turned to see Wooyoung, whose eyes had widened in horror.  
”That... that was the ship! The ones who kidnapped Yeosang!”

He had no idea what had driven Wooyoung to that conclusion, from what he could possibly have recognized it. But for some reason, Yunho got the dreading feeling that he was right. 

”What the hell happened to them?” he whispered, not really expecting an answer, despite really needing one. Not even the entire powder magazine exploding would cause a destruction like this.

”Where is he?” Yunho heard Wooyoung whisper, sounding panicky.   
”Where is Yeosang?”

Neither of them wanted to hear the answer to that. Yunho hadn’t seen any familiar heads of blonde hair in the water yet and he truly hoped he wouldn’t, either...

”He’s not here.”

They both jumped as the captain’s voice sounded right behind them. Yunho looked past Hongjoong to see Jongho had taken over steering the ship for now. 

”How do you know?” Wooyoung’s voice was high-pitched, ready to scream and cry. Hongjoong’s face remained calm, almost... content, to Yunho. 

”I know he isn’t here”, the captain sounded dead certain.

”He could have-”

”Yeosang cannot drown even if he tries, I told you”, Hongjoong interrupted Yunho before he could even finish the scenario.   
”We need to keep on going, so we can find him again.”

With those words, Hongjoong turned around and hurried back to the helm, ignoring the confused and suspicious looks his crew was giving him. He tried to remember what the maps of this area looked like. There would be a few islands close by...

He knew exactly where to go. He took over the helm from Jongho, sparing a single glance at the remains of the bounty hunters’ ship.

_ You truly went all out, didn’t you, Seonghwa? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... so, that happened.
> 
> And now for that unrelated question:  
> I have an idea for another fic I want to write after I finish Undrowned, it's on the planning stage, but I have trouble deciding the ship, so I thought I'll ask for your input! There's not much I can tell you yet, but there will be some rivals-to-lovers dynamics (regardless of which ship it ends up being) and magic shenanigans! However, should I go with Seongsang or Woosang? This will have a big effect on how the plot and other character dynamics go down, so if you have an opinion, I would appreciate it!


	15. In which Seonghwa shows his true colors (tentacles)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know y'all are busy streaming Thanxx but have another chapter. A very dialogue-heavy chapter...
> 
> Also: thank you for all of your answers to that ship question I had! You'll see the result sometime in the future, as well as that Woosansang thing I mentioned (I will start writing it alongside this one)...

Yeosang didn’t really have time to duck and cover. Not even pray that the tentacles would miss him by some miraculous chance. Not that it would guarantee his survival. He had just enough time to grip the railing as hard as he could and hold on. He would get crushed by something falling on top of him, end up in the jaws of this massive beast...

He didn’t feel anything hitting him, but what he did feel was the deck giving out from under his feet. He clung to the railing to keep himself from falling as he tried to see what was happening around him. 

Someone getting thrown through the air by one tentacle, the masts falling and the water flowing in from all sides. The mixed cacophony of terrified screams and the sound of the ship getting smashed to pieces and gunpowder going off assaulted his ears.  _ Zealous _ was going down, and it was going down fast, as the monster seemed intent to drag both the ship and its crew to the depths. 

Yeosang gasped for breath as the parts he was holding onto were dragged underwater. It was only moments later, when he was completely submerged, that he remembered it was kind of an unnecessary act, thanks to Seonghwa’s gift. He had squeezed his eyes shut as well, but opened them, wincing at the sting of saltwater. It was something he still hadn’t gotten used to. And with certain doom getting steadily closer, he doubted he never would. 

As he finally saw what exactly was it that had attacked the ship, he wasn’t sure if it would have been better to keep his eyes shut. 

Whatever it was, it was completely colored black and  _ massive _ . So big that with the night rising and light disappearing it was hard to even distinguish where its body ended and regular darkness began. Just a mass of dark and seemingly endless amounts of large tentacles reaching for the ship. Somewhere in the middle, quite close to the surface, Yeosang suspected, were its jaws, ready to swallow down the unlucky bounty hunters and an even unluckier Yeosang. 

He didn’t realize he had frozen in place until a scrap of wood almost fell on him and he had to swim out of the way, back to the surface. 

Not that it was much better there. But he had to move, he reminded himself. The beast was busy wrecking the ship and its crew, but he hadn’t been caught in the middle. He could still swim further, not end up as dinner... if he only found a piece of wood that wouldn’t sink to hold on...

He had barely even started swimming away when something curled around his ankle and he let out a startled yelp. Even without seeing it he recognized the feeling. 

Another tentacle wrapped itself around his other leg, while a third snaked around his waist, pulling him under once more.

They were smaller and thinner, much smaller than the ones destroying the ship. But Yeosang knew they came from the same mass of dark, they were parts of the same beast. And there was something familiar about them. 

He almost ended up getting his lungs full of water again and messing up his breathing pattern as the realization hit him. They were similar to the tentacles in the cave. The ones that had handed him the pearl. 

And now they were dragging him deeper, into darkness, towards the beast. But while not longer than a moment ago he had been scared out of his mind, now he felt that fear strangely diminishing. He couldn’t really say why, but somehow, he knew these tentacles weren’t out to hurt him.

The beast wouldn’t hurt him. 

He had no idea how long he stayed there, simply floating in the water, the small tentacles loosely gripping him, like they were trying to ensure they wouldn’t lose him. He had no idea when he had closed his eyes, but it wasn’t like his sight would do much for him, the ocean was pitch black at night. Eventually the muted sounds of the destruction going on above him faded, leaving him in an eerie silence. 

The next thing he knew was being dragged back to the surface again. And his back meeting sand. 

Had he passed out? Because he was pretty sure there had been no land anywhere near them as the beast had attacked. However, there he was, laying on sand and with the waves occasionally brushing against his boots. 

Someone crouched down over him, he felt a warm breath on his face.

”Well, this is hauntingly familiar.”

Yeosang rubbed his eyes to make sure not a drop of salt water would attack him and squinted to see in the dark. The only light he had at the moment was the faint glow of the moon somewhere in the sky, but he could make out the familiar form, and even more familiar voice. 

Hauntingly familiar indeed, it reminded him of their first meeting, during which he had been convinced he was simply dreaming. 

”Seonghwa?” Yeosang whispered, his voice not willing to work with him. Seonghwa leaned closer, softly pressing their foreheads together. 

”Are you okay, little starfish?” he asked.  
”They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Yeosang blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat, collecting his thoughts.

”No, I’m okay”, he said, trying to lean up himself.   
”Sorry, can you...?”

”Oh, of course.”

Seonghwa got out of the way, allowing him to sit up on the sand and have a look around. Not that it was easy to see much in the pale moonlight, other than the sea and the outlines of the small island they had landed on. So small it couldn’t really even be called an island, Yeosang thought. He squinted, trying to see _ Zealous _ \- or what was left of it - in the horizon, but there was no sights of the ship. 

”I had to swim quite far to get you to safety”, Seonghwa hummed, like he had guessed what he was trying to see.  
”Not that you wouldn’t survive in the water, but I figured waiting for your crew on land would be a little more comfortable.”

Yeosang happened to gaze at the waterline, right where his boots barely reached it. He saw Seonghwa’s feet there as well... along with something long and dark reaching further into the water.

Tentacles. Again with those small, black tentacles, that seemed to continue further into the water. Yeosang followed them with his eyes to the opposite direction and saw how they disappeared under Seonghwa’s clothes. 

Not human, he remembered. Definitely not human. 

”... were you that beast that destroyed the ship?” he asked, despite being certain of the answer already. He heard shuffling as Seonghwa inched closer, placing himself right next to him.

”I’m sorry you had to witness that, little starfish”, he apologized.   
”I just... I knew you were in danger and I had to get you out of there. I may have overdone it a little, but I was worried and I needed to make sure they wouldn’t follow you again...”

Yeosang sucked in a breath. Seonghwa was the beast. Honestly, he should have realized it sooner. That sounded exactly like something one would like to hide behind a vague statement of not being human. 

”It’s okay”, he hurriedly said as Seonghwa rambled on, trying to justify his actions. Yeosang wasn’t sure if killing dozens of men was actually okay, but... they kind of had it coming, and the crew would have gunned them down with pleasure as well. Yeosang shook his head. While he hadn’t personally killed anyone yet, it was something he couldn’t avoid forever, probably. Such was the life of a pirate. 

”Thank you”, he continued, looking for eye contact.   
”For saving me.”

Seonghwa fell silent, before nodding.

”Of course”, he said, his other hand reaching out to squeeze Yeosang’s.  
”I told you I would protect you.”

He had. He had come for Yeosang when he needed to be rescued. While there were still many questions unanswered, Yeosang was now certain he could trust Seonghwa. It felt right, they were on the same side, and the other had done something drastic simply to save him. 

”So... was that your... true form?” he asked tentatively, trying to find the right way to express his questions. Right now, he simply wanted to know what exactly Seonghwa was.

”Not exactly”, Seonghwa replied, seemingly relaxing as he noticed Yeosang was not going to freak out.  
”I don’t really have a ”true form”, I think? I can be a lot of things.”

He turned to look at Yeosang and flashed a small smile.

”However, human form is usually the one I’m most comfortable in.”

”Alright, I have to be frank, I guess. What are you exactly?” Yeosang heard himself ask, tired of not getting straight answers. They were on a remote beach, away from humanity, there was no better time to get answers. Seonghwa seemed slightly taken aback by his straightforwardness, as he took a while to answer him. 

”I... I don’t quite know how to call myself”, he confessed.   
”All I know is that I am of the sea, I’m its guardian and I have some control over it.”

Again, the answer was frustratingly vague, but Yeosang couldn’t bring himself to resent Seonghwa for it this time, as his lack of clear definition seemed genuine. 

”And you have many forms... and tentacles”, he noted. Seonghwa chuckled.

”They are quite useful”, he said.   
”I hope you’re not... disgusted by them?”

Yeosang frowned.

”Not really”, he shook his head.   
”They’re weird, but not gross or anything. But why do you have them in human form?”

”I can make them go away if I wish”, Seonghwa explained.   
”However, I’ve noticed that I can’t really be on land... it rejects me. But I can step on the shore as long as I can still reach water.”

Yeosang nodded, glancing at the tentacles. Indeed, those would give Seonghwa a better reach, let him take a few steps away from the water. He moved his gaze upwards, at Seonghwa’s face. What would happen if he tried to leave the ocean? Or was he truly physically incapable of doing it? And how on earth had the rest of the crew not realized Seonghwa’s secret at any point?

”How did you manage to hide them in the ship?” he asked, to which Seonghwa laughed.

”Ships don’t count as land, Yeosang”, he pointed out.  
”So I could spend my time in a complete human form and keep the tentacles hidden. Except for a couple of nights, since it turned out Hongjoong was... quite interested in them.”

Yeosang gagged.

”I did  _ not _ need to know that”, he stated in exaggerated disgust. 

”I’m sorry, little starfish”, Seonghwa giggled, amused, and reached to pet his damp hair, brushing it away from his face. 

They fell silent for a while, Yeosang lost in his thoughts while Seonghwa’s eyes never left him and his hand kept playing with his hair. Yeosang found himself leaning into the affectionate touch. He remembered how tense, yet strangely safe he had felt when he had first met Seonghwa. With every meeting he found himself more and more comfortable with the man, his touch pleasant and the sweet pet name stirring a bubbly, sweet feeling inside him. 

Maybe it was all the kind words others had said about Seonghwa and assured him of his caring nature. Maybe it was Seonghwa’s tendency to continuously express affection towards him, without completely overwhelming him. Whatever the reason, Yeosang felt happy to simply be there, beside him, on a small islet in the middle of nowhere.

Still, there were some things he wished to know. Even if he hated to interrupt their quiet moment together. 

”Seonghwa”, Yeosang started, lifting his head to look at him.  
”Will you finally tell me what it is you’re looking for?”

What they had needed the key for? What was it that Seonghwa wanted, needed so badly? He watched as the man sighed quietly, his hand in Yeosang’s hair never stopping its movements.

”Where to begin...” he said quietly.   
”... you remember that I told you it wasn’t my choice to suddenly disappear?”

Yeosang nodded.

”How should I explain this... well, while I’m not quite sure what my kind should be called, I have been around for some time. I’m not sure how long, as I only recall clear memories from the past few decades”, Seonghwa explained slowly, with Yeosang listening intently. A few decades... How old was Seonghwa?

”I suspect it’s because it’s been only relatively recently that I’ve started to spend time in human form. My memory is much clearer then, and whenever I shift into a form of something else... somehow my mind becomes a lot simpler, I act more on instinct than on conscious thought.”

Yeosang nodded along with the explanation, while waiting for Seonghwa to get to the point. He had a hard time controlling his impatience. 

”However, what I discovered during these few decades, was that I am not free.”

”What do you mean by that?” 

The hand in his hair stilled. Yeosang reached to gently grasp it. He brought it lower, experimentally running his fingers over Seonghwa’s knuckles.

”What I mean is that I don’t always have the freedom of deciding what actions to take”, Seonghwa replied.   
”I am bound to servitude, not by my own volition. I think I may have had several different masters over time, but in any case, should they give me an order, I am unable to disobey.”

Yeosang listened, lightly chewing on his bottom lip. It explained... some things. At least the part of Seonghwa having to leave  _ Aurora _ , despite obviously wanting to stay. 

”How do they even control you?” he asked, frowning.   
”You said you can control the ocean itself more or less. You can literally transform into a massive tentacle beast!”

Seonghwa let out a chuckle, but there was little joy in it.

”There is an artifact, a gemstone”, he said.   
”I am uncertain whether I have always been bound to it or if some other entity did it for me at some point. Regardless, it is how they control me, by possessing that gem.”

”And that’s what you’ve been looking for with Hongjoong”, Yeosang realized. Seonghwa nodded, squeezing his hand lightly. 

”That’s right, little starfish. I wish to be free, to not take orders from anyone besides the captain of a ship I decide to sail with”, he nodded.  
”Hongjoong agreed to help me achieve this goal, and as the ocean is my home, I know its treasures better than anyone. To let him and the crew have those as a reward for freeing me and letting me sail with them is the least I could do.”

And the service of someone who would have endless knowledge of the ocean and a very useful set of skills for a pirate in his repertoire - and who was also handsome and had tentacles - was likely a big factor of Hongjoong wanting to help Seonghwa, Yeosang thought. He could also easily understand Seonghwa’s wish for freedom as well. While he clearly was capable of causing unimaginable destruction, as he had witnessed firsthand, as they talked, Yeosang couldn’t imagine Seonghwa as a person who exactly enjoyed violent acts. And following orders that likely would entail such things... he couldn’t imagine many other ways one would utilize services of someone who could become a literal sea monster and possibly be ordered to hurt those he cared about. 

”Where is the gem kept?” Yeosang asked. As his eyes had gotten more used to the dark, he could see the look on Seonghwa’s face, and came to the conclusion that he had no right to look as surprised as he did. As if he hadn’t expected that Yeosang was willing to help.  
”You had us look for the key and we found that, but you told me that you had no knowledge of the location. Have you made any progress there?”

Seonghwa blinked once, twice before managing to answer. And Yeosang could hear from his voice that he was trying to hide his joy. 

”I have, I know where it is now”, he replied.   
”I- sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I somehow didn’t expect you would want to help me..”

”Why wouldn’t I?” Yeosang interrupted with a huff.  
”You helped me, you’ve saved my life at least twice now, three times, if we count you claiming me and Hongjoong _ just happening to sail by _ and recognize your marks.”

The more he thought of it, the less even that occurrence seemed like a coincidence and more like something that was meant to happen. He would have to press Hongjoong when he’d get to reunite with the crew. 

Seonghwa stared at him, his mouth slightly ajar, before letting out a sharp exhale, almost in disbelief.

”... I guess so”, he eventually nodded.   
”Even if me claiming you was a purely selfish act on my part. I simply didn’t want to see you die, and I... I wanted you for myself.”

There were those words again. Yeosang bit the inside of his cheek lightly. He had been thinking of it every now and then. And the more he entertained the thought of being Seonghwa’s, he found himself sort of liking the idea. Not even the surprise of him being a supernatural being scared him off.

Apparently, even when dehydrated and almost at the point of starving to death, he had been smart enough to give the answer he wanted to give. 

”That is alright”, Yeosang said firmly, looking straight into Seonghwa’s dark eyes.   
”As long as it means I can have you as well.”

He remembered some of the teachings of love he had heard during his time at the temple. One of them being the importance of equality. To be romantic partners was to be equals, not simply one possessing the other like an object. He was sure Seonghwa knew it as well, but he had to be sure. And assured he was as Seonghwa’s face lit up to a delighted smile. 

”You have me”, he promised, leaning closer. Yeosang felt his own mouth curve upwards to a smile as well as a warm feeling spread inside him. Seonghwa’s soft lips landed against his as they pressed their bodies closer to each other, Yeosang’s arms finding their way around Seonghwa’s neck. He let his eyes slip shut, allowing his other senses to savor the moment. Seonghwa’s kiss tasted mostly like sea salt, with a sweet undertone he couldn’t place but didn’t mind. He felt Seonghwa’s hands wrap around him, pulling him closer and not letting go even as their mouths parted. 

As they laid there together, Yeosang was even more convinced he had made the right decision. 

”... you didn’t answer my question.”

Seonghwa lifted his head, having spent the last few minutes or so pressing his face on Yeosang’s hair while they had simply laid there and cuddled under the stars. And while it had been comfortable and had made Yeosang experience a lot of emotions he never had felt before, he unfortunately felt like he had to ruin the mood once again.

But it was to help Seonghwa, he told himself. To set him free. 

”You said you found the place, where the gem is kept”, he prompted. 

”I did. I was summoned there not too long ago, and I saw it was left there”, Seonghwa nodded enthusiastically.  
”Rather strange decision in my opinion, but better that than my master keeping it with him. It shouldn’t be a problem for you and the others to steal it.”

It sounded strange to Yeosang as well, but he wasn’t going to question it. 

”It’s on one of the islands of the Grey Chain”, Seonghwa explained.   
”There is a... I guess it’s supposed to be a fortress of some kind, even if it seems to be way too small and has never been on active use, I think. But it is locked in there, to my knowledge.”

”Even if the key was sent to a temple?” Yeosang frowned.  
”Before you found out where the location was?”

”I believe there are two keys to the fortress”, Seonghwa explained.   
”And I saw him lock the gem there, so it’s our best bet.”

So it seemed. Yeosang nodded and shuffled on the sand as Seonghwa stood up, stretching his limbs. The tentacles were still there, reaching deep to the water. Yeosang followed them with mild curiosity. How long were they?

” _ Aurora  _ will be here soon, I believe.”

”Will you finally come clean to the crew?” Yeosang asked, propping himself up as well.  
”You could join us again, we could track down the gem together.”

Seonghwa looked away, with clear sadness on his face. 

”I want to, but... I don’t think it’s safe for me to do that just yet”, he said slowly.   
”Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing that I want more, but I fear that I get discovered... and that I will be forced to hurt you.”

That was something Yeosang had thought as well. While disappointed, he ended up nodding. 

”So you’re going to leave to do whatever you were doing?” he asked.

”What I intend to do next is to make sure no other attempts at kidnapping you will happen again”, Seonghwa announced.  
”I’m sure those guys weren’t the only ones who got the tip on you. There will be other bounty hunter ships after you.”

And other unlucky sea monster victims, Yeosang thought briefly.

”I must ask you again, however, to keep as much a low profile as you can, Yeosang”, Seonghwa continued, pulling him to an embrace once more.  
”Stay away from the temples in particular. They are still looking for you and I can’t help you if you’re on land.”

Yeosang nodded, moving his head to rest on the other’s shoulder.

”I will”, he promised.

”Good. I’ll do my best to keep everyone tracking you off your back. I’m sure you and Hongjoong can find the right route to the Grey Chain in no time.”

”I need to find the crew first”, Yeosang pointed out. He heard Seonghwa chuckle almost right to his ear.

”Don’t worry about that, little starfish. Your captain has probably already figured where you are.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It shall be noted again that I am the absolute worst at writing romance (and yet still insist on including it).  
> Yeosang is getting just as frustrated with the overtly long exposition as I am.
> 
> Edit: So, I finally created a writing twitter. Come say hi or scream at me [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	16. In which Yeosang is reunited with his crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: Thank you all so much for over 200 kudos and over 3800 reads! Extra thanks for everyone who has commented as well, you always have me squealing in joy <3
> 
> Second: I posted the first (short) chapter of that Woosansang textfic, [Error: Could Not Communicate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26174608/chapters/63691027), go give that one a read as well! The updates are going to be just as unpredictable as here, a consistent schedule is a foreign concept to me.
> 
> Third: Oooffff, this chapter is somehow even more dialogue-heavy than the last one. But, enjoy Hongjoong's backstory!

It was getting near dawn when Seonghwa finally left the islet. Yeosang had managed to make him stay for a while longer after their talk, they had spent another moment cuddling in comfortable silence. His earlier assessment of Seonghwa being the type of person who gave great hugs was confirmed once again. 

”I’ll get back to you as soon as I can”, Seonghwa promised as Yeosang drew him closer for one more kiss. 

”By then we’ll probably have the gem in our hands already.”

Seonghwa chuckled against his mouth.

”That would certainly make a great reunion.”

Yeosang parted from him reluctantly and quietly watched him go. Seonghwa walked to the shallows, the tentacles withdrawing somewhere beneath his clothes the very second his feet were submerged. It took some more steps until the water got deeper and he dove in. Once he was underwater, Yeosang didn’t see him anymore. Maybe he had shifted into another form, something easier for moving long distances quicker. Seonghwa hadn’t talked much about what kinds of things he was capable of, but Yeosang was sure he could take a lot of other forms besides just human and a giant monster. 

He sat back down on the sand, suddenly feeling the wave of exhaustion wash over him. The last few days had been a lot. Seonghwa’s story and true nature even more. He really needed some rest, but resisted the urge to lay down and fall asleep. He’d have to keep an eye on the horizon. To see when his crew would get here. 

He didn’t have to wait for very long, it turned out. As the sun rose above the horizon, Yeosang saw a figure in the distance, slowly getting larger. A ship. 

A very familiar ship that he could recognize, despite the sails looking different than the last time he saw them. 

Yeosang sprung up right as he saw it, despite his body trying its hardest to persuade him to lie back down. Should he jump up and down a little? Wave at them? Yell? Do anything to get their attention? Then again, they were sailing close. As close as they could. Yeosang dragged himself to the shallow waters as the ship got close enough that he trusted his voice to carry far enough. 

”Over here!”

The response was near instantaneous, as he could see two figures running to the railing so fast that for a moment he feared they would fly over it.

” _ Yeosang! _ ” to hear Wooyoung shout at him had never felt better. Despite his exhaustion Yeosang waded further to the water. The ship was close enough for him to swim close and climb up.

To get basically body slammed by Wooyoung the moment he stood firmly on  _ Aurora _ ’s deck again, after being pulled up with Jongho’s help, had never felt better either. Except that now the back of his skull kind of hurt, as Wooyoung sent them toppling over. But he could ignore that, he was busy returning the hug and trying to keep the other from crying. With little success.

”I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have left you alone!” Wooyoung sniffed against him as Yeosang tucked his head against his neck and patted his back.

”You did nothing wrong, it was my own fault”, he said quietly, not sure if Wooyoung could even hear it. Based on the protesting noise he made, he did.

”Still, I should have made you stay with me”, he huffed, squeezing Yeosang tight.  
”Are you alright?”

”You’re asking that after you tackled him?” San chuckled as the whole crew gathered around them.   
”Now let him up, it’s our turn.”

Yeosang had no complaints about being pulled up and hugged again by the whole crew. In fact, he felt like his legs would give out from exhaustion if he weren’t held up by Mingi and Jongho at that moment. 

”Glad to have you back”, Hongjoong smiled at him as he was finally released from the group hug.   
”Are you hurt anywhere?”

Yeosang shook his head.

”No, I’m fine, just tired”, he claimed, trying not to squirm under the inquisitive gazes of his friends, as if they were trying to find any potential injuries. 

”What happened?” Yunho asked.   
”We found the bounty hunters’ ship a few hours ago... there was barely anything left and no survivors at all.”

Yeosang swallowed. Seonghwa had been thorough, it seemed. He cursed himself internally for not being prepared for this. He should have known others would ask about his escape. What was he supposed to say?

Honestly, he wanted to simply tell them the truth. Tell them about Seonghwa’s true nature, and how he’d saved him and needed their help. 

”The ship, it was attacked”, he started.  
”By a..”

He paused, quickly glancing at Hongjoong. The captain sent him a stern look that almost startled him. While his mouth stayed shut, the message was clear. He had already figured out what was going on... and Yeosang wasn’t supposed to say it while the others were on earshot. Not yet. 

”I’m not sure what it was”, he ended up saying.  
”But it struck really quick... I’m not even sure how I got out alive, to be honest.”

”Some kind of sea monster?” Jongho asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

”... I think?”

The crew looked at each other in surprise and relief, clearly happy to have dodged that particular bullet. Not that it would have ever hurt them, Yeosang thought. 

”You’re truly something”, San hummed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  
”You got more lives than a cat, Yeosang.”

He chuckled along with others, glad that they didn’t seem to have any intentions to ask more questions. He stood there, lightly leaning against San and letting them fuss over him a bit. While a little embarrassing, it felt nice too. 

”You should rest”, Yunho finally said, noticing how he had trouble keeping his head up. 

”So should all of you”, Yeosang retorted. He had noticed how every single one of his friends was sporting dark circles under their eyes. Which was no wonder, they must have been sailing without any stops for the last few days. 

Hongjoong seemed to agree with him, as he nodded. 

”We can afford to stop for a little while here”, he said.  
”I propose all of you take a moment to rest for today.”

”Captain himself included”, Yunho sent him a look so stern that Yeosang hadn’t thought it would be possible for the first mate. Hongjoong’s smile was almost sheepish as he nodded.

”Of course.”

They moved under the deck, with the exception of the captain who marched into his own cabin. Yeosang stared at the doors while following the others. He would have to confront Hongjoong as soon as possible. Now that he had information they could use. An actual location for the gem they needed. 

But, sleeping first didn’t sound like a bad idea either. 

Especially when Wooyoung snuggled next to him in his bunk. Despite the minor discomfort caused by lack of space, Yeosang found himself falling asleep fairly quickly. 

They slept through nearly the whole day, as when Yeosang woke up, it was getting dark. He sat up slowly, carefully prying Wooyoung’s arms off of him to make it easier, while the other slept peacefully. He squinted as he looked around in the dark quarters, hearing the even breaths of his crewmates, all still asleep. Except for Jongho, his bunk was empty. Likely keeping watch, they still had people after them and it was important to be prepared even in broad daylight. 

Yeosang quietly slipped into his boots and tiptoed away from the quarters, careful not to wake up the others. 

The captain seemed like a light sleeper, he would likely be awake by now. If he had slept at all, Yeosang chuckled to himself. By all accounts, it was a difficult task to achieve, to make their captain actually rest. Seonghwa had said so as well. 

He indeed found Jongho from the deck, sitting on the stairs leading to the upper deck and fiddling around with a wooden block and a small knife. Yeosang greeted him with a small smile.

”Up already?” Jongho raised his eyebrows, surprised to see him.

”Yeah”, he nodded.   
”I came to see if the captain is as well, I have to talk about something with him.”

Jongho examined him once again carefully, Yeosang tried to steel himself for the incoming questions. Their youngest was undoubtedly the hardest to avoid or distract when he wanted to know something. 

”Are you sure you’re okay?” Jongho asked, his tone serious. And before Yeosang could nod and assure he was completely unharmed and not even really that shaken by his experience, he continued.  
”You were clearly holding back when we asked you what happened when you escaped. There’s something you’re hiding.”

Yeosang bit the inside of his cheek and glanced away, towards the sunset. He had been incredibly transparent, hadn’t he? He was certain everyone had observed the same as Jongho, but likely decided that they didn’t care that much what had happened, just that he was safe. 

... it maybe wasn’t his place to spill Seonghwa’s secret, but if not now, when would the others get to know? There was absolutely no reason to keep it as a secret anymore. 

”I’m sorry if I sound like I’m accusing you of anything, but I just want to know, if there’s something important...” Jongho said quickly, his face turning apologetic.  
”Something we should know.”

”There is”, Yeosang said before he could hold his tongue. He bit the traitorous organ lightly as he glanced at the captain’s cabin doors again.  
”But.. I think I need to talk to Hongjoong about it first. Just that we’re all on the same page, you know?”

Jongho stared at him for a few seconds, before nodding and giving him a soft smile. 

”I understand”, he said.   
”But you can’t keep me in this state of curiosity forever, you know that?”

That he said with a teasing tone, causing Yeosang to let out an amused huff. 

”Don’t run off to anywhere, then”, he said, taking steps to the cabin doors.

”I’ll tell you after I’ve talked to the captain, okay?” he promised. 

Jongho seemed like the best person to tell the tale first anyway, in his mind. He was the least likely to interrupt and wouldn’t think he was crazy. Probably. 

He knocked at the door and pulled it open. 

Just as he had predicted, Hongjoong was awake, sitting behind his desk like he had been expecting him. 

”Evening”, the captain greeted him, his voice giving away nothing.  
”Did you sleep well?”

”I did. Did you sleep at all?” Yeosang asked, tilting his head questioningly as he closed the door. 

”A few hours, yes. But enough pleasantries, I have a feeling you have more important things to discuss with me”, Hongjoong leaned back in his chair.

”I do, unless you try to avoid me again”, Yeosang couldn’t help pointing out.  
”Or don’t you think it’s about time we talk about Seonghwa?”

At his words, Hongjoong calmly stood up. For a fleeting moment Yeosang thought he would actually do it. Just get up and leave, avoid the conversation. But instead he saw Hongjoong gesture at him to sit down opposite him and fished out a bottle and two cups from beneath the table.

”I guess this is the time”, the captain admitted, pouring their drinks.   
”Since apparently he came to your rescue, if the amount of destruction and lack of survivors we found on the wreckage of that bounty hunter ship was of any indication.”

Yeosang nodded.

”That’s why you told me to hold on to the pearl”, he said.   
”So I could use it to call for him.”

”I did”, Hongjoong confirmed, taking a sip.   
”I have one of those myself as well.”

Yeosang stared at his cup for a while. There was so much to discuss, but where to begin?

From the very beginning, he decided. 

”Seonghwa told me what he is”, he said.   
”But what I want to know is what happened between you two. Why did you agree to help him?”

Hongjoong leaned forward, a small smile on his face. 

”We first met when I was around seventeen”, he started.   
”I wasn’t a captain back then, obviously, I didn’t even have a ship of my own yet, or a crew. I was working under another captain at that point, I guess I’ve always had the heart of a pirate.”

That was easy to imagine, Yeosang thought. He couldn’t see Hongjoong doing anything else. Even him taking orders from another captain sounded off, but that might have been because he was so used to seeing the older man as a captain. 

”That particular ship and its’ crew happened to be quite unlucky, however, as they decided to fight a military ship”, Hongjoong continued, grimacing at the memory. Yeosang found himself mimicking the expression.  
”A stupid idea, of course, and they got gunned down pretty quick. That is the closest brush with death I’ve ever had.”

Yeosang’s brows shot up in surprise. He had expected Hongjoong to have been in several battles where he would have gotten very close to death. He seemed like the type of person... what had San said again? Someone with more lives than a cat.

”But you didn’t die”, he said. 

”I didn’t die”, Hongjoong nodded.  
”I have no idea, why he was there, and at that point had no idea why he decided to save me, but you can guess who came to my rescue.”

He could. 

”It was scary, I’ll admit. To just get suddenly dragged into the water by some stranger, told to hold your breath and close your eyes while he pulls you much farther from the dueling ships than you could ever swim with your own strength”, Hongjoong hummed.  
”Didn’t get his gift of undrowning until a little later.”

Yeosang wondered if Seonghwa had even known he could simply kiss the ability of not drowning into someone at that point and only figured it out when it had happened with Hongjoong. After all, he had said he hadn’t spent a lot of time in human form until the last couple of decades...

”So why did he save you?” Yeosang asked, disappointed at first when Hongjoong responded with a shrug.

”He was nearby and happened to spot me there, I guess he took pity on me since I was pretty young and terrified.”

Fair enough. But...

”I talked to San and Wooyoung. They said Seonghwa was the last one to join the crew”, he frowned.   
”So you didn’t stick together right away?”

Hongjoong chuckled, downing the rest of his drink. Yeosang hadn’t even touched his.

”No, we didn’t. He helped me to get started, though.”

”How?”

The captain slid his hand to his pocked, pulling out the very familiar small box.

”I told you where I got this, didn’t I?” he grinned. Yeosang blinked. Once. Twice.

”... A friendly neighborhood sea god?” he suddenly remembered Hongjoong’s words from his second day on  _ Aurora _ . The captain hadn’t been joking.

”Seonghwa gave me this”, he grinned, twirling the box.   
”I’m not sure of the specifics, but apparently herding souls of dead sailors is part of his duties. And it turns out some souls are itching for battle and some other work even when dead.”

Yeosang stared at the box as he processed the information. Taking care of the dead... it sounded like something a guardian of the sea would do. Was that what Seonghwa did during his days when he was away?

”We parted soon after that, however, he did promise that we would meet again. Very soon after that I ran into Yunho and Mingi”, Hongjoong continued with his story.  
”They agreed to join me in my... career building. And well.. it’s easier to steal a ship when there are three people instead of one.”

”And a boxful of souls that are willing to work for you”, Yeosang added, finally taking a sip of his drink and grimacing at the taste of alcohol. He still wasn’t very used to it. Hongjoong laughed, nodding approvingly at his input. 

”I’m sure Wooyoung and San already filled you in on how they ended up sailing with us. It took a while before we picked up Jongho as well, so there were six of us”, he said, and Yeosang nodded along.

”They said Seonghwa joined you at some port?” he prompted. Hongjoong reached for the bottle again, pouring himself another drink.

”I didn’t expect to run into him again, if I’m being honest”, he confessed.  
”But as I sent the others to do the usual restocking, there he was all of a sudden, I saw him standing on the pier. It was a pleasant surprise, of course. He was very impressed with how well I was doing.”

No doubt, Yeosang thought. But he was waiting for Hongjoong to tell him what he really wanted to hear. 

”This time, Seonghwa told me that he wished to join my crew. I was surprised, of course. I mean, he could already travel the seas faster than any ship and control the waves, why would he want to join a pirate crew?” Hongjoong leaned back on his chair again.   
”I didn’t ask at first, though. I knew I could trust him, he had saved my life, after all. So I welcomed him. But I couldn’t really shake the feeling that he had come to me because he wanted something from me.”

”You agreed to take him in before he even told you what he wanted?” Yeosang questioned. 

”He’s very charming, alright?” Hongjoong huffed, but there was little bite in his defense.   
”You should know that. He’s into you, isn’t he?”

Yeosang froze for a moment. While he had been well aware of Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s relationship, he hadn’t thought this far. How would Hongjoong take it?

”Relax”, the captain waved a dismissive hand.   
”I realized from the start that you’re important to him. And you remember that I love everyone on this ship, not just him, right? There is no room for jealousy in here.”

Glad that was sorted out, Yeosang swallowed, subtly licking his lips. Somewhere under the drink he could still faintly taste that weird mix of salt and sweetness that was Seonghwa’s kiss. 

”Can we get back to the part where he tells you what’s going on?” he requested.   
”Ah, right. So, he’d been with us for like a day or two, before he came to me and told me that he needs my help.”

Yeosang leaned back in his chair, waiting for Hongjoong to continue. Even if he knew what Seonghwa had asked, he wanted to hear it from his captain. In case there was something he knew and Yeosang didn’t.

”It was only then that I learned he’s under someone’s control and wanted to break free. And he promised me his help as a sailor and to lead me to any treasure I could ask for if I only helped him achieve that”, Hongjoong said, shaking his head and chuckling.  
”As if I wouldn’t help him anyway, since I kind of owe my life to him.”

”He doesn’t care about that”, Yeosang pointed out.   
”He was surprised when I promised to help him as well.”

”Indeed, but hey, I’m not going to turn down a treasure. And besides, he’s wonderful to just have around anyway, don’t you think?”

Briefly, Yeosang’s mind ran to think of the tentacles and he had to fight to keep his face neutral. He did not want to imagine that right now. He nodded anyway. 

”So, we started the hunt for that controlling gem”, Hongjoong continued.  
”Didn’t make much progress, unfortunately, but thankfully, Seonghwa’s master doesn’t seem to be keeping him in a particularly short leash. We got to sail in peace for a couple of years, until a few months ago, when he suddenly disappeared. I realized it must be because he was summoned, and didn’t dare to return.”

Because he hadn’t shared his secret with the whole crew? It sounded so ridiculous. There had to be another reason. Yeosang scratched his neck lightly as he tried to come up with something. The only reasoning he could muster, however, was that Seonghwa was afraid that his master would discover  _ Aurora _ ’s crew and order him to hurt them.

”Did he lead you to me?” he asked.   
”It’s just... it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that you guys just happen to sail past the sacrificial island and just happen to spot me there?”

Hongjoong leaned on his elbows, smiling.

”Not as explicitly as you might think”, he said.   
”Some subtle signs, a shift in the wind or the waves, a map just happening to be left on the cartography desk that shows a good route going by the island. However, it was San who noticed the place and its strange air first.”

He ran a hand through his hair and took another sip of his drink. Yeosang did the same.

”I remembered he had told me some stories about the temples of Holy Light and their practices, as I didn’t know much of them myself before that”, Hongjoong explained.  
”And then we saw you on the beach. And I saw his claim on you, I recognized it right away.”

All of it had been Seonghwa’s plan, it seemed. Despite him not explaining himself at all, Yeosang thought. He must have had insane levels of trust placed on Hongjoong to understand all of his signs and what he wished him to do. 

However, there was one question still unanswered. 

”Who is Seonghwa’s master?” Yeosang asked, frowning. It only occurred to him now that Seonghwa hadn’t mentioned it at any point. To his disappointment, Hongjoong shook his head.

”I’m sorry, he never said that, even to me. Only that the man has a lot of influence. And... and apparently, he made him do some things he really regrets.”

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what those regrets were. If they were something Seonghwa hadn’t even shared with Hongjoong.

They finished their drinks quietly, Hongjoong putting the bottle away as Yeosang refused a second cup. 

”So, you talked with Seonghwa, didn’t you?” the captain inquired.  
”Had he made any progress tracking down the gem?”

Yeosang perked up. Right, he was supposed to share this with Hongjoong. 

”We have a possible location”, he revealed.  
”Apparently he saw his master lock the gem away there... but it sounds weird to me. Why would he not keep it with him?”

”From what I’ve understood, he doesn’t need to physically have it in his person to command Seonghwa”, Hongjoong shrugged.  
”As long as there is no one else to claim ownership over it and taking place as a new master. Magical artifacts are strange like that.”

Yeosang nodded, despite it sounding strange.

”Anyway, he said it’s in an abandoned fortress”, he said.   
”In one of the islands of the Grey Chain.”

His words seemed to strike fire in Hongjoong’s eyes, as the captain suddenly seemed more awake than he could ever be normally. 

”The Grey Chain?” he repeated.   
”You’re sure?”

”That’s what he told me”, Yeosang nodded. Hongjoong stood up, almost running to the mapping table. Yeosang turned around on his chair and watched the captain shift through all of their maps until he found what he was looking for. He stood up and slid beside him, to look over his shoulder as Hongjoong’s eyes scanned through the map, focused. 

”It’s going to be a longer journey”, he finally said.   
”But nothing we cannot handle. Those waters should be relatively calm.”

Especially with Seonghwa having their back, Yeosang thought. 

”We’ll set sail at sunrise”, Hongjoong decided and looked at him with an excited grin that Yeosang found himself returning.   
”Now, you should return to rest while you can. I’m expecting you to help me plan the route further tomorrow.”

”Of course, captain”, Yeosang hummed.   
”And you should take your own advice.”

Hongjoong responded with an eyeroll, but did wander towards his bed as Yeosang left the cabin, facing the cool night air.

Now, he couldn’t rest just yet. He had promised Jongho an explanation, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't too exhausting. But hey, we'll (hopefully) get back on the treasure hunt mission!
> 
> You can now find me on twitter! [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	17. In which the crew learns the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The treasure hunt is starting... slowly but surely.  
> I could finally put up the number of chapters there are going to be! There were originally supposed to be more, but a couple of them got merged together early, and that might still happen so the number might change.
> 
> Thank you again for all the kudos and comments you've given, you're the best <3

Yeosang had experienced anxious silence before. At times when he had been expecting a scolding from the High Priest, the quiet moment before had felt like pure torture that lasted an eternity. When he had simply wanted to disappear from the spot, just be done with it. 

This was almost as bad. He stared at Jongho, who sat quiet, not meeting his gaze. 

He had told him everything. What he knew of Seonghwa, how much Hongjoong knew, how the two had hidden things from others. How Seonghwa had appeared on the island to save him, led Aurora to him, saved him from drowning and from the bounty hunters by transforming into a monster. And claimed him as his own to protect him. 

Yeosang swallowed quietly in discomfort as he waited for the younger to react. As he had suspected, Jongho had listened patiently, not once interrupting him. He hadn’t said anything in a good while as they sat there, processing the information in silence. Yeosang was near squirming as he waited. What did Jongho think? Did he feel betrayed? Hurt for being kept in the dark? Did he even believe what Yeosang had told him? 

”Um...” he couldn’t help letting out the noise, desperately hoping it would prompt the younger into talking. To say _ anything _ . 

It seems like the universe was on his side, for once, as Jongho let out a long exhale.

”Wow... they were really hiding a lot from us, weren’t they?” he stated calmly as he raised his head, finally meeting Yeosang’s eyes.  
”You too.”

”I’m sorry”, Yeosang scratched his neck in discomfort.   
”I didn’t really know what to do... or if what happened was even real at first.”

”It’s okay”, Jongho assured.   
”I wouldn’t be mad at you anyway, you’ve only been in on this for a short while. I’m not mad at captain or Seonghwa either, just to make that clear.”

”You’re not?” Yeosang tilted his head questioningly.

”Not really. Well, a little upset, maybe, since I don’t understand why they didn’t tell us”, Jongho shrugged, standing up.   
”I mean, we have souls of dead sailors fighting alongside us. It’s not like we haven’t seen strange things before, so Seonghwa really had no reason to hide anything from us, did he?”

... that, was a really good point. Yeosang nodded and reminded himself that he needed to tell that to Seonghwa when they’d see him again.

”So, what are we going to do next?” Jongho asked. Yeosang glanced over his shoulder, at the captain’s cabin.

”We’re planning our route tomorrow”, he said.   
”So we can get to the Grey Chain and find the fortress and the gem. Then we can call Seonghwa there, if he doesn’t appear on his own already.”

”He better be there”, Jongho huffed.   
”Everyone’s going to eat him alive for disappearing on us like that and never telling us what went on.”

Yeosang kind of wanted to see it happen, but also didn’t. Maybe the others would be over the shock of the knowledge of Seonghwa being alive by the time they would get to the Grey Chain. Hongjoong had said it would take a few weeks, after all. They would have to come clean to the whole crew before that. 

”I think captain will want to discuss this with everyone tomorrow”, he said as he stood up.  
”When we have a plan ready.”

”Probably”, Jongho shrugged and stretched his limbs.   
”You seem to be very keen to help him as well?”

Yeosang frowned a little.

”Well, he did save me several times already”, he reminded the younger.   
”And even if he hadn’t done that... I don’t think I would refuse someone asking for my help, especially since he’s very dear to all of you.”

_And precious to him as well_ , he added in his mind, willing his face to stay neutral. Jongho let out a quiet chuckle as his lips curved into a content smile.

”And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he gives great kisses, I’m sure”, he teased, having Yeosang splutter as a result and wave his hands in slight embarrassment.

”That’s the smallest reason!”

”I know, I know”, Jongho laughed.   
”But I’m glad you told me the truth. It gets frustrating, when it becomes so obvious that people are keeping secrets for no reason.”

Yeosang smiled back when he got his blush under control. He did feel good after sharing the story with Jongho. And tomorrow they would have to deal with the rest of the crew, but at least then Hongjoong would be alongside him... and probably handle most of their inevitable ire. Yeosang was sure that some of the others would be way more upset than Jongho...

”One more thing.”

He looked up at the other who stared at him with a completely serious face.

”Yes?” he asked carefully.

”I know you should probably rest but since you’re awake, you’re taking over the lookout duty for me now.”

...

Of course. Yeosang rolled his eyes.

”Sure.”

”Great. Goodnight”, Jongho hummed and left with a small wave. 

The next morning they set sail, Hongjoong giving Yunho a general direction they would head to, before retiring to his cabin with Yeosang. They spent a good while mapping their route, planning every stopping point well ahead.

”We can’t avoid them altogether”, Hongjoong stated.   
”But we have to pick places that are small enough, that don’t have temples. And by the way, you’re not going to wander off alone even for a minute and not without disguising yourself at least a little.”

Yeosang sighed. He knew it was true and it really had been partly because of his own carelessness that he’d gotten kidnapped. But getting scolded like this always felt bad. He nodded and tried to focus on the maps. 

”Now, let’s see...” Hongjoong hunched over the desk with him. 

They spent a good while looking at possible ports to restock in, finding two that would likely be the safest.

”That one’s a bit larger, but it’s usually frequented by pirates and other shady figures anyway”, Hongjoong mused.  
”So unless things have changed, we should be relatively safe there.”

”You don’t have any fierce competitors looking to ambush and stab you?” Yeosang asked, raising an eyebrow. Hongjoong responded with an amused chuckle.

”I actually get along with my colleagues just fine, most of them at least”, he claimed.   
”Mostly because we tend to mind our own business and not boast about what we’ve looted that much. That sort of behavior often attracts people trying to undermine you.”

Yeosang could see that happening. And while captain dressed in flashy clothing, a habit he saw some of the others also possessing, he didn’t seem like the type to run his mouth. Well, he should have known that already. The captain seemed to be too tight-lipped sometimes.

”By the way”, he said as he put the compass down.   
”We should tell the others what’s going on, don’t you think?”

Hongjoong’s finger, which had been sliding along their planned route on the map, paused. When there was no other response, Yeosang continued.

”Yunho told me that you always consult them before going through with a plan”, he said.  
”And they deserve to know the truth. Even if I’m sure they want to go through with this as much as we do, we should-”

”I know”, Hongjoong interrupted.   
”It’s just that I... well, I thought it should have been something Seonghwa would want to explain himself.”

”Don’t you think he would have done that by now?” Yeosang huffed.  
”Has he always been so difficult? Or is it a recent development that you have to really twist his arm to get any answers out of him?”

At that, Hongjoong laughed.

”No, no, he’s always been like that, I can assure you”, he replied, waving his hand.  
”It’s just that this is a very big thing, so...”

”It is, but if I’m being honest, he kind of deserves it if the others are a little mad at him for not trusting them enough”, Yeosang stated. Hongjoong sighed, rubbing his temples. 

”Maybe so... they’re going to be mad at me as well, aren’t they?”

”Probably.”

”Fuck.”

”You’re the captain, you can handle an upset crew”, Yeosang assured him.  
”They’ll understand... I think. I will try to back you up.”

At least Jongho had, so others would too... right? He couldn’t imagine Mingi being too mad, at least... Wooyoung and San would likely be upset at first, maybe Yunho as well. But that would be inevitable anyway, it would be good to just get it out of the way, so to speak. 

”Thank you”, Hongjoong nodded.   
”I guess it can’t be helped... we’ll inform them when we have our plan ready.”

They were ready very soon. With the plan, that is, not necessarily to tell the crew and see for their reactions. However, Hongjoong agreed with Yeosang that it would be for the best to do it now instead of sitting on it any longer. They slipped out of the cabin, conveniently finding everyone else already on deck, so it was easy to gather everyone.

”Lower the anchor”, Hongjoong ordered.   
”This is something that will take a while to explain.”

”Oh”, San tilted his head.   
”Were you now planning to tell us the whole ’Seonghwa is not only alive but something akin to a sea god and we need to set him free from servitude and also he was the one who saved Yeosang’ story?”

Yeosang froze on his spot. From the corner of his eye he saw Hongjoong do the same thing, his face pale.

”How-”

Yeosang’s eyes snapped at Jongho’s direction.

”You told them already?” he asked, in shock. The youngest nodded.

”Figured it was easier that way”, he explained, shrugging.  
”Less things for you to worry about.”

Yunho looked at them over his shoulder, his hands never leaving the helm. 

”He told us everything you told him last evening, Yeosang”, he confirmed. Hongjoong frowned.

”Everything?” he said slowly.

”How Seonghwa’s not really human but a supernatural being”, Wooyoung started.

”How he saved both you captain and Yeosang”, Mingi continued.

”Yeosang he saved several times, if we count the gift of undrowning and guiding us to the island...”

”How he can transform into a kraken...”

”That he didn’t die but had to disappear against his will and didn’t feel like he could return..”

”How he’s taking orders from someone but stubbornly refuses to tell who...”

”And how his will is bound to some trinket that we need to steal for him to be free”, Wooyoung finished, looking at them sharply.  
”And apparently you know now where it is.”

Yep, those were pretty much all the things Yeosang had shared, in astonishing detail. Jongho must have excellent memory. In a way he was relieved, and the others didn’t seem like they were about to get angry at them. He glanced at Hongjoong, who had listened patiently, seemingly over his shock. The captain drew a long breath, nodding at Wooyoung’s words. 

”Well, that leaves only two things for us to talk about”, he stated, straightening his posture. Even then he was the shortest of them all, Yeosang noticed, especially without his hat. 

”First, I’m sorry”, Hongjoong said, looking at each of them individually.   
”I should have told you guys sooner, but since Seonghwa himself was so hesitant to tell you, I was holding back. I avoided sharing things with Yeosang as well, despite him being obviously marked with Seonghwa’s claim.”

Yeosang watched as the crew exchanged meaningful looks among each other, before finally turning their heads towards Yunho, who granted their captain a warm smile. 

”Apology accepted”, he stated, the rest of them nodding. Yeosang could see Hongjoong visibly relaxing.  
”Now, the second thing you had to talk about?”

”As Wooyoung said, we know where the thing we need is”, Hongjoong was quick to answer.

”According to Seonghwa, it’s some sort of gemstone”, Yeosang helped.   
”And it’s in a fortress located on the Grey Chain.”

”That’s going to be a few weeks trip, isn’t it?” San calculated, Hongjoong nodding.

”It is... assuming you guys are up for it?” he said slowly, a little unsure. An empty concern, Yeosang thought, and just as he had expected, the rest of them seemed to agree.

”That’s not even going to be a debate”, Wooyoung huffed.   
”If Seonghwa needs help, we’re going to help.”

”I’m hurt, captain, you think we wouldn’t have agreed?” Mingi asked, half-jokingly. Hongjoong bit his lip.

”Well, to be honest I kind of expected you would have been more upset since I kept you in the dark for so long and let you think he was dead”, he confessed.

”Seonghwa is going to be punished”, San asserted.   
”And we might throw you into the water at some point as well- don’t look at me like that, we’ll fish you back up, of course!”

The crew laughed at their captain’s huffy expression, until Yunho eventually waved for them to calm down.

”So, I take it we’re ready to go?” he said.   
”We have a heading, no?”

He looked at Yeosang, who nodded.

”We do.”

Wooyoung clapped his hands together excitedly.

”Then let’s go save Seonghwa!”

Full of determination, they sailed ahead and were glad to see that Hongjoong’s assessment of the waters being relatively calm had been correct. Yeosang suspected Seonghwa had done his share of making sure they would have a safe journey as well, as he had promised to keep anyone potentially hunting them off their backs. 

Yeosang was grateful that the days on the ship passed quickly, he was getting impatient. After six days they made their first stop, on that port Hongjoong had claimed was mostly inhabited by outlaws. One where they wouldn’t attract much attention.

Despite that, everyone insisted that he needed to at least cover his hair again, and Yeosang found himself agreeing with them. It had grown long enough to cover the sides of his face as well, allowing him to at least somewhat hide his birthmark. He did not want a repeat of what happened last time.

They did their restocking with no hurry and spent the evening at the inn, for once enjoying someone else’s cooking. It was somewhat crowded, but calm enough to put Yeosang at ease. They got approached a couple of times by other people, some of them greeting Hongjoong respectfully and asking how they were doing, but mostly they were left alone. 

”We should come by more often”, San mused as he finished his dinner.  
”It wouldn’t hurt to have some allies.”

”You’re right, but I wouldn’t count on anyone’s loyalty in here”, Hongjoong hummed. 

”Smart choice”, noted a graying man from a table next to them, getting all of them to turn their heads.   
”Most people will betray you if they profit from it.”

They nodded quietly, glancing at the table with wary eyes. A pair of old men, likely local residents, Yeosang thought. Retired criminals who had seen all sorts of things. 

”Personal experience speaking?” Wooyoung asked, tilting his head. The men laughed, amused.

”We still live at least”, a one-eyed man replied.   
”Others haven’t been so lucky.”

Yeosang suspected at least one of them had been the traitor instead of the one betrayed. He noticed the man whose hair had turned mostly gray glancing at him.

”This one your troublemaker?” he gestured. Yeosang stilled. He felt Mingi snake a protective arm around his shoulders.

”He can give you a lot of trouble”, Yeosang heard him say, with the tone he usually used while telling one of his exaggerated tales, and causing the men to laugh again. 

”Figured, since he’s all covered. Pissed off someone real good, didn’t you?”

”Just a little”, Yeosang replied when his tongue agreed to work with him again.   
”You could tell just by looking?”

”I’ve been here for decades, kid. We’ve seen all kinds of people here”, the graying man replied.  
”Once met a guy who’d been in some freak accident that left half his face burnt off, yet he still lived.”

”One time there was this crazy girl who was convinced she was cursed or something. She claimed wherever she went, ships would sink right after her tracks”, the other man with an eye patch said, picking up his pint. Yeosang heard his friends laughing disbelievingly.

”Not a curse you’d want to have as a sailor”, Yunho commented.

”Definitely not. She didn’t stay here for long, though. Poor girl was certain she would bring ruin wherever she went”, the man shrugged and took a chug of his drink.  
”That was a long time ago, too...”

”Any more recent weird people?” San asked, leaning forward in interest. 

What they got was around a dozen more tales of strange encounters, before they finally bid farewell to the old men and left the inn. Yeosang found himself walking alongside Yunho as they made their way back to the ship.

”Do you think one could actually be cursed and ships would sink wherever they go?” Yeosang quietly asked as they walked. Yunho chuckled.

”Sounds like nonsense to me”, he said.  
”Too oddly specific, don’t you think? If it’s just the ships that go down, you probably should just stay on the islands.”

Yeosang nodded.

”I guess”, he agreed. 

”So assuming the old man wasn’t lying, she probably was actually crazy”, Yunho shrugged.  
”Or masochistic. Who keeps on the move by sea if they were cursed like that?”

_ Someone who would be in just as much danger on land _ , Yeosang thought briefly. That he could relate to, somewhat. There were no forces of the Holy Light on the sea that would try to make a grab for him. Not while Seonghwa was there to protect him.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More gem hunting ahead in the next chapter :)  
> You can now scream at me on twitter as well (I'm shy but I promise not to bite): [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	18. In which the fortress is entered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch me put out a new chapter, it's 4 am in here... my sleeping schedule is atrocious. 
> 
> Thank you again for kudos and comments, you're seriously the best <33

”I feel like we’ve entered some other world”, Mingi confessed as they laid down their weapons, finishing their combat training for the day. Yeosang was panting, exhausted but satisfied with himself. Mingi had only managed to disarm him twice, and both times it had been when he had obviously gotten too impatient or careless after the sparring had dragged on for quite a while. 

”You mean the quiet?” he asked as he slid his sword back to its sheath.

”Yep”, the taller nodded and leaned on the railing, gazing into the horizon.  
”We haven’t come across a single spot of land or even another ship in several days. There’s nothing here.”

Yeosang had to agree. It was somewhat unnerving to look into the horizon and see nothing but blue skies and the calm ocean. If he hadn’t slipped to the captain’s cabin to check the compass every once in a while, he would likely have started to doubt whether they were even heading in the right direction. But a small look at the maps always soothed his doubts.

“The Grey Chain is very remote”, he said absentmindedly, leaning on his palm.   
“It sounds kind of absurd that someone ever built a fortress there.”

“Guess that explains why it’s abandoned”, Mingi pointed out.   
“I can’t imagine anyone really bothering to come here. There’s not even really anything to defend.”

 _Except for maybe a tool to control a powerful being with_ , Yeosang thought briefly. Seonghwa had said he’d probably had several masters over the years, even if he only remembered the current one. Maybe someone was paranoid, rich and resourceful enough to build a place in the middle of nowhere to protect the gem, since commanding Seonghwa didn’t apparently require the master to physically hold it. It was both a smart and risky plan, but then again… no one would likely stumble upon it by accident. Or have the key to get to it.

However, they had, and they knew exactly where to go.

“Do you think it’ll be that easy?” Mingi suddenly asked him, making Yeosang tear his gaze off of the small waves around their ship.  
“We can just waltz in and take the thing? And then what?”

Yeosang shrugged.

“Then we summon Seonghwa”, he said.   
“And I suppose it means that when we have the gem, or give it to him, he’s free to do what he wants.”

Which meant joining the crew again. There would be eight of them in the ship. Still such a small sounding number, but they had already proven countless times that it was enough.

The familiar sound of their captain’s boots approached them, making both of them turn around.

“I’ve been trying to go through all of my journals and notes to find information”, Hongjoong said, apparently having heard at least the latest parts of their conversation. No wonder, since even the winds weren’t that loud, the sea was more silent than Yeosang had ever witnessed before. He swore he could hear almost every single little creaking sound _Aurora_ let out beneath their feet. And Wooyoung’s and San’s giggles from somewhere he couldn’t see them. 

”And did you find anything?” Mingi asked while massaging his neck.

”Not really”, Hongjoong admitted, obviously disappointed.   
”But I think we need to be careful when we enter the fortress. I imagine there could be traps set to guard the gem in case someone just happens to find out about it...”

It was a reasonable concern, Yeosang thought. They’d have to be very careful to not get hurt or blow their chances. 

”How far do you think we are?” Mingi continued with the questions.  
”It gets hard to tell when all you see is just the sky and the sea with nothing in it.”

Hongjoong glanced at Yeosang.

”We calculated that this trip would take around two weeks, right?” he said, Yeosang confirming his words with a nod.   
”So unless we made an error or the chain has miraculously moved... then we should be only a few days away.”

As usual, Hongjoong proved to be right. After a few days of uneventful sailing they finally saw something on the horizon. The lines of a group of small islands, and a silhouette of a fortress standing on one of them.

”We’re here”, Hongjoong hummed at the helm as the rest of the crew stood beside him.

”It’s kind of creepy”, Wooyoung admitted as they got closer.

”I said it before, it’s like we're in a whole other world”, Mingi huffed.  
”Who knows what’s in there.”

”Other than the gem”, Yeosang muttered.

”Then it turns out that we’re worrying over nothing and everything’s very anticlimactic”, Jongho suggested, coaxing some laughs out of them. 

”Well, that would be the good option”, Yunho admitted while signaling Jongho and San to go lower the anchor, his eyes on the fortress. Up close it seemed surprisingly large.   
”Are we all going in?”

Hongjoong stood in silence for a good while before replying.

”If you want to”, he ended up saying.   
”I honestly don’t think anyone could sneak up on us here. The islands are too small and bare to hide anyone and we would have already noticed if someone had been tailing us.” 

And Seonghwa would have taken care of that issue most likely, Yeosang added in his mind.

”It’s settled then, we’re all going on a hunt for that gem”, Wooyoung said, rubbing his hands together.  
”Do you think it’s going to be hard to find?”

”It sounds like something that would stick out”, Yeosang shrugged.   
”But we’ll see... unless there are loads of other gems for us to sort through, I doubt it.”

Hongjoong nodded in agreement.

”I think so too. But, we’ll have to wait and see. Lower the boats.”

One boat wasn’t quite enough for all seven of them so they split into two boats and rowed the rest of the way from _Aurora_ to the island. Yeosang kept his eyes on the fortress even as he helped the others pulling the boats to the shore. The island was big enough to host such a building but there wasn’t really room for anything else. But as he regarded it, he did realize that there truly was no way for Seonghwa to simply get to the gem by himself. Even the tentacles must have their limitations and he couldn’t reach that far inside.

Especially without a key. 

Whatever it was for, it wasn’t the fortress gates or doors at least, as the gate was already open, letting them march into the small courtyard. There was barely anything left, save for some empty barrels, equipment that had likely been regarded as too heavy to move away as the fortress had been abandoned and some other useless junk simply lying around, half buried in the grass that had invaded the ground and grown threateningly tall. Yeosang had registered the quietness they were surrounded by the whole journey before, but as they stood there on the courtyard, it hit a little different, giving the place a much eerier feel. 

They waded through the grass to get to the doors, Mingi and Yunho giving them an experimental pull. They opened with little resistance with loud creaks, making Yeosang wince as the unpleasant noise assaulted his ears. 

”Remember, even if it’s unlikely, be careful for any traps”, Hongjoong reminded them as they stepped inside. 

Yeosang turned his head to take a good look at the insides of the fortress. For such a large place, it was very unremarkable from the inside, with barely any furniture left and the whole interior decorated mostly with thick layers of dust. 

”Unlikely indeed”, he heard San mutter.  
”It doesn’t look like anyone would have bothered to do that.”

He found himself agreeing. The very existence of someone like Seonghwa or a gem that would be used to control him didn’t seem like public knowledge. And there was absolutely no reason for anyone to ever sail to the Grey Chain unless they wished for a quiet life as a hermit. And even for that there were probably easier places to fulfill that particular life goal. 

They got to work immediately, splitting up to look around and trying to find any signs of what they were looking for. They got through most of the fortress quite efficiently, since there wasn’t really any notable property to look through or anything else to distract them. 

Truly, an abandoned place. 

”Whoever built this probably realized it wasn’t worth maintaining”, San stated as they walked on top of the wall, admiring the quiet scenery and checking for anything someone might have left there.  
”There’s no strategic advantage in having a fortress in a middle of nowhere.”

Yeosang didn’t know much about military strategy, but he had to agree. Building this fortress had been a stupid idea from the start. But it was perfect for hiding something, so it had that advantage. Honestly, he had expected at least some other pirate group to have stashed their treasure or some other outlaws to establish a base. The walls were sturdy and it was far enough from any other military posts. With the unfortunate issue of supplies being hard to acquire, on the other hand. 

He wondered how Seonghwa’s master had even heard of the place. Unless they had wrangled the information out of Seonghwa himself, as likely he would know such a location existed, being part of the sea and all. A perfect little spot to hide a being’s little ticket to free will and freedom from servitude, nearly at his fingertips - or tentacle tips - but not quite within his reach. 

There was something in it that felt especially cruel. Yeosang grimaced at the thought, feeling his disgust at Seonghwa’s master increase. On his third day on the island he had originally been sent to, he had wondered if it was possible to hate someone he had never met, as he had despaired over the ritual being a failure, for no fault of his own. It had been all the previous Spark’s fault, for running away and not being there. They had failed to fulfill their own duty and prevented Yeosang from doing his as well. On that day Yeosang had been angry. However, as he thought of it now, he couldn’t bring himself to feel that way anymore. He had done the same, after all. And discovered a life much more interesting, if dangerous. For the first time in his life, he had friends, people who cared about him because of who he was as a person, not because he was a Spark, something to be protected before being sent to die for others’ well-being. How did that even work?

He had asked that more than once. Every single time the High Priest had dodged the question, and so had every other priest and apprentice he had presented it to. Not getting an answer had stung more than it usually did. Yeosang didn’t think of himself as particularly entitled, but that was something he thought he really should have been given an answer to. It was about his duty, his purpose, after all. He remembered the stern talk he’d been subjected to after everyone had gotten tired of his constant questioning and the High Priest had to reign him in. It was after Yeosang had seriously lost his temper when his inquiries had been dodged or shot down once again, and also one of the times he had ever felt resentment towards the High Priest. Was there truly not anything he could have told him? Instead of repeating the same words he had heard over and over again. 

_”Haven’t I already told you many times that it is to maintain our lives, our prosperity?”_

_”You have, yet you refuse to tell me how exactly that happens”, Yeosang snapped back._

_”If I’m going to do it, don’t you think I deserve to know how me dying equals everyone else living?”_

_”Lower your voice”, the High Priest said sternly, adjusting himself as he stood at the doorway of Yeosang’s bedchamber.  
_ _”You have read our texts many times. You know this is necessary.”_

_”Is it though?” Yeosang huffed, pressing his nails to his palms as he suppressed the urge to throw something across the room in frustration._

_”How do you know it’s necessary? What if it’s all for nothing?”_

_It was honestly what scared him the most. And he was certain his fears would be diminished if he only had enough information. What he didn’t expect was the surprisingly serious, very intense expression rising on the High Priest’s face as his words left his mouth._

_”Yeosang.”_

_It felt weird to hear his name in the man’s voice. It was actually a little unsettling. He was used to simply being addressed as Spark, or something else that wasn’t his name but signified fondness. Yeosang bit into his cheek as he raised his head, staring the man down as he took a few steps further into the room._

_”Are you doubting?” The question sounded dangerous, even if the High Priest’s voice was calm. Yeosang had to look away as the gaze directed at him grew more pressuring. He stared at his feet, resisting the urge to timidly back down._

_”How can I not?” it came out more quiet than he intended.  
_ _”How can I not, when I can’t see it for myself?”_

_He had read the texts, many times. So many times that he knew some of it by heart. He knew the prophecies of ruin and misfortune if the Light wasn’t strengthened enough, if it was diminished. That’s what a Spark was for. He was the one supposed to make the Light shine brighter. But how could he be sure that he could even accomplish that? What if there was something wrong with him? If he wasn’t enough?_

_He almost jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing lightly._

_”I never expected this from you”, there was little emotion in the High Priest’s voice, but Yeosang could almost taste the disappointment. It made him cringe.  
_ _”I thought I had raised you well enough, but to witness this kind of lack of faith...”_

_Yeosang’s head snapped up._

_”I’m sorry”, he said instantly, but was silenced by the older man holding his hand up._

_”No, the fault lies in me”, he said.  
_ _”I should have realized it earlier, when you couldn’t stop all this. I have done a poor job preparing a Spark, since you don’t even seem to believe in your own cause.”_

_Yeosang bit his lip._

_”No, that’s not it”, he insisted, avoiding the heavy gaze of the High Priest’s gray eyes.  
_ _”It’s not that I don’t believe in it, I just-”_

_He cut himself off, trying to find the right words. This was his own problem, not something the High Priest had caused. He realized it now. It was simply all his own weakness._

_”You just what, dear Spark?” the High Priest’s tone had softened slightly, his grip on Yeosang’s shoulder was now lighter as well._

_”I- what if I’m not enough?” he felt himself blush in embarrassment because of the way he practically squeaked out his response.  
_ _”I didn't mean to doubt anything you’ve told me, I swear! But what if I will fail? If I’m not enough to strengthen the Light and I doom us all because of it?”_

_It sounded so childish, he should have been over this already. He expected to hear the High Priest say that as well. That didn’t happen. Instead, the squeezing touch on his shoulder returned, however now it felt comforting._

_”Yeosang, look at me.”_

_It was still somewhat intimidating to hear his name from the High Priest’s mouth, but he couldn’t help but obey, lifting his head up to look at the man. He was quite tall, Yeosang always had to look up when speaking to him._

_”You are enough”, the High Priest stated in a way that refused any kind of objection.  
_ _”You were the one the Light chose. You were pointed to us, to me. And I’ve witnessed you grow from the very beginning. I know you will not fail me.”_

Yeosang near winced at the memory, a pang of guilt striking his chest once again. Unfortunately, the High Priest had been very, very wrong. Yeosang had failed him.

”Are you done staring into the abyss?” San startled him by poking him.   
”Let’s move.”

Eventually they regrouped after going through all the floors above ground. It was then that they heard Yunho calling them to the cellar. There wasn’t much of note in there either, the only thing setting it apart from the rest of the fortress being the humidity. And a door they found Yunho leaning on.

”This is the only one I couldn’t get open”, he explained.  
”And it has a lock.”

”You need me to pick it open for you?” San asked, reaching into his pocket for his tools.

”I don’t think you have to”, Hongjoong chuckled, pulling out the key they had stolen from the temple.  
”Let’s see first if this fits.”

The key was certainly large enough to fit a door’s lock, Yeosang thought. Hongjoong took a few steps closer, glancing at the lock a few times before sliding the key in. It seemed to fit flawlessly and turn without any resistance, the lock clicking approvingly and as the door slid open, Yeosang was certain they had found the right hiding spot.

They were so close. Yeosang pushed past Yunho and entered with Hongjoong. 

The room was small and mostly bare, like everything they had seen so far. What set it apart were the few small crates and a couple of chests neatly stacked by the wall. This had to be it. One of them was holding what they needed. 

Or so they thought. However, when they opened them, they found out the true state of matters. 

Every single one of them was empty. All of the crates. Every single chest. Nothing inside them.

Yeosang stared at the bottom of the empty chest in disbelief. On his right he heard how Hongjoong slumped against the wall.

”You have to be fucking kidding me”, their captain hissed, somewhere between rage and disappointment.

”There’s nothing here!” Mingi voiced the obvious, his voice raising in frustration.  
”This was a complete waste!”

”Did we get the wrong place?” Yunho said quietly, slumping next to Hongjoong.

”Seonghwa himself told us it would be here”, Yeosang whispered.

”We had the key!” Wooyoung exclaimed.   
”It fit this exact door! It has to be here!”

”Well it obviously isn’t”, Jongho retorted.   
”Since there’s nothing here.”

”Then how does the key fit here and Seonghwa thought it was here? And there was the letter with the key that pretty much confirmed it!”

Yeosang froze. The letter. He hadn’t thought of it for a while. The last time he had taken a look at it was when he had met Seonghwa, who had confirmed just by looking at it that they’d gotten the right key. 

He didn’t have it with him right now, as he had left it in the crew’s quarters, since there was little reason to carry it with him. Oh how he wished he had it now. Yeosang closed his eyes, trying to remember details. Hadn’t he thought there was something strange about it?

There hadn’t been many words written in it. Just vague allusions to a threat and insistence that the recipient had to keep the key safe. All written in a neat, oddly small and oddly familiar handwriting...

Yeosang spun around, looking at the crew who stood utterly defeated, mainly staring at their shoes. 

”We should leave”, he said, trying to keep his voice calm. He had to have another look at the letter.

”Are you sure?” San frowned.   
”Don’t you think we should now summon Seonghwa and tell him what happened?”

”No.”

They shouldn’t. If he was right, Seonghwa would try to stop them from sailing to their next destination.

”We should really go.”

Yeosang kept insisting, dodging the strange looks his friends gave him until Hongjoong finally nodded, signaling them to leave.

”You’ve got a strange look in your eye”, the captain stated as they walked out of the fortress basement.  
”What’s on your mind?”

Yeosang inhaled slowly, trying his best to keep his thoughts clear, despite the dread attempting to creep up his spine and invade his mind.

”I need to have a look at the letter again”, he replied quietly.   
”And... if I’m right, I know where we have to go next.”

It was the only potential lead they could have at the moment. Yeosang had thought that he had never wanted so badly in his life to be wrong as he had when he’d gotten the bounty hunters after him.

However, it was nothing compared to how badly this time he wanted nothing more than to be mistaken. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sssssooooooooooo......
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	19. In which the grand temple awaits and the plan is shaky at best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughhhh why was this chapter so difficult to write?  
> Not a lot happens either, but I hope it's somewhat enjoyable anyway! Calm before the storm or something along those lines.
> 
> Thank you again for your comments and kudos, you're amazing <33

Yeosang's fingers gripped the letter so hard it was a miracle the paper wasn't torn into tiny pieces. Over and over again, he scanned through it with his eyes, tracing every single word written. There were less than twenty of them, sentences curt and without any extra pleasantries. No signature either, to protect the sender’s identity.

He didn’t need the signature to recognize the handwriting. He had read it many times before.

”Did you find what you’re looking for?” Hongjoong’s voice asked right next to him, making him snap his head up to look at his captain. Hongjoong looked concerned, to put it mildly. It was obvious he had sensed something was wrong and likely already had an idea of what it was. Yeosang chewed on his lower lip. 

”I did.”

He really didn’t want to believe it. But there wasn’t really any other plausible explanation. He looked at Hongjoong, who stared back with a compassionate expression.

”And you really wish you didn’t”, he stated, Yeosang nodding. 

”Seonghwa will try to stop us if he realizes where we’re going”, he said quietly.  
”And I don’t exactly like the idea either... but we have to go.”

Hongjoong nodded, adjusting his hat. 

”So where are we going?”

He was pretty sure the captain knew the answer already, but wanted to hear it from him anyway.

”The grand temple of Holy Light. The gem is there.”

Seonghwa had warned him to stay away from all of the temples, as they posed a danger to him. And this was the most dangerous of them all. 

The grand temple used to be his home. Every single person in there knew his face. He had been their celebrated and revered Spark. Who had failed them, who they now knew had run away, instead of obediently sacrificing himself for the greater good. He could imagine the shock on people’s faces if they saw him now. Not just a runaway, but a pirate. Who had already stolen something from another temple, no less, and escaped from the clutches of bounty hunters they had sent after him. He could imagine the High Priest’s disapproving voice, the disappointed face. The man who had raised him for his mission flawlessly. The man whom he had let down.

The same man whose handwriting the letter was written in. 

“You’re absolutely sure?” Hongjoong asked once more. 

He really didn’t want to be, but there was no other explanation. And there was no point trying to deny what he was seeing. Yeosang nodded.

“Dead certain.”

Hongjoong seemed just as reluctant to set course to the grand temple as he was, but it truly was their only option at this point. The rest of the crew questioned the idea quite heavily as well, asking Yeosang continuously whether he was completely, absolutely sure that the letter was in the High Priest’s handwriting. And every time he tried to push away his pain as he nodded, with a weak rate of success. 

“Why don’t we just ask Seonghwa?” Yunho had asked, receiving approving nods from the rest of the crew.

“He warned me to stay away from the temples, and if he had wanted to tell me the truth, he would have said it already”, Yeosang retorted.  
“If we tell him our plans, he’s going to stop us. We need to get there, or at least close enough, first.”

There was always a chance, of course, that Seonghwa would realize their intentions and intercept them on the way there. But they had to at least try, and Yeosang was already steeling himself so he could make Seonghwa let them hatch a plan, no matter how risky. 

“He might try to stop us anyway”, Jongho said, voicing what Yeosang had been expecting.

“Then we yell at him until he gives in”, Wooyoung huffed, unconcerned.   
“He can’t resist all of us. Especially not both Hongjoong and Yeosang.”

Yeosang suppressed a huff. He heard Hongjoong snort next to him.

“More like you’re going to literally scream to his face until he begs for mercy”, the captain replied, Wooyoung grinning back mischievously.

“That can be arranged~”

“Good, because that will be our plan B if simply talking isn’t enough. Now, let’s set sail! We have no time to waste!”

If Seonghwa had any idea of what they were about to do, he wasn’t so far protesting or even confronting them about it. They sailed the next days in peace, doing their daily routines, without coming across any other ship on the remote waters. If it had felt somewhat unnerving on the way to the fortress, now the feeling had multiplied, at least if someone had asked Yeosang. He kept expecting to see a flock of pirate hunter ships waiting them on the horizon every passing moment. Even though there was no way anyone would even know where they were. 

He had also tried his best to shake off the horrible feelings of betrayal that had struck him the moment he had realized what was going on and refused to leave, with weak results. 

The High Priest had hidden the key, and very likely was also Seonghwa’s master. It would have explained why Seonghwa had been so reluctant to reveal his identity to Yeosang. While he didn’t like that kind of secrecy, Yeosang couldn’t say that he didn’t understand Seonghwa’s reasoning. If everything had gone smoothly, they would have gotten the gem and freed Seonghwa from the High Priest’s service, with Yeosang being none the wiser about the actions of the man who had raised him. Whom he had cared for deeply and felt guilty for betraying his trust. 

Some of that guilt was still there, but it had been somewhat diminished. Yeosang hadn’t forgotten about Hongjoong’s mention of Seonghwa’s master making him do some... regrettable things. He didn’t know what it meant, but it couldn’t be anything pleasant. It would be on his list of questions to ask when he would see Seonghwa again. 

Even after a week there was no sign of Seonghwa. Instead, on one night Wooyoung took the liberty to slip next to him as he laid on his bunk, unable to sleep. 

”You’ve been more quiet than usual”, Wooyoung stated surprisingly quietly, careful not to wake others.  
”And you’re already pretty quiet.”

Thank you for stating the obvious, Yeosang thought. He turned on his side, tucking his face against Wooyoung’s shoulder. Despite the lack of space, the other’s presence felt comforting.

”Do you want to talk about it?”

”About what?” Yeosang mumbled against Wooyoung’s shoulder.

”You said Seonghwa’s master is that High Priest”, Wooyoung clarified.   
”And from what I’ve gathered, he was a very important person to you. And that’s why you’re upset.”

Either he was very obvious or Wooyoung had gotten really good at reading his emotions. Perhaps both were true. Yeosang sighed quietly. 

”How can I not be?” he whispered.   
”He’s the one who mostly raised me, who taught me everything I knew and made sure I would be ready for the sole purpose I was supposed to exist for.”

He was supposed to be the person Yeosang could always trust. And even after things had changed, after he had been picked up by the crew of Aurora, after he had befriended them and found a new interesting life, after he had met Seonghwa, he still had felt guilty for letting the High Priest down. For betraying his trust. Even when the hunters had been sent after him had he still felt guilty, like he was the one at fault and deserving of punishment.

And then he had realized that the High Priest was likely the one commanding Seonghwa. Keeping a powerful being like him under his thumb. It maybe wouldn’t have been so bad, if Yeosang hadn’t noticed that Seonghwa was obviously not happy with the arrangement, going so far as to enlist Hongjoong’s help in finding a way to set himself free. Something that had driven Seonghwa to claim Yeosang as his own and arrange him to be found by Hongjoong so he wouldn’t carry out the entire sacrificial ritual. It was clear that something had happened that Yeosang wasn’t yet aware of, something that he truly needed to know to understand the situation completely. 

Something that would likely change his image of the High Priest, since Seonghwa had been so secretive the whole time, almost certainly to protect his feelings. That had not helped at all. 

Wooyoung shifted around a little, pulling him into a comforting hug. 

”And then he turns out to be something else and now you feel betrayed”, he summarized quietly, Yeosang nodding and trying his best to not let any tears fall. 

”I do. But at the same time I feel like I’m not allowed to? I betrayed his trust as well”, he replied, swallowing down the disgusting little lump of sadness and guilt that had risen up to his throat. 

”It’s okay, Sangie”, Wooyoung whispered, lightly squeezing him.  
”It’s okay. You’re not wrong to feel that way.”

It didn’t feel okay, but Yeosang found no words to express himself at the moment, so he let his protest go unsaid. Instead he laid there, letting Wooyoung hold him in silence. It lasted for a few minutes, until his friend broke it again.

”Do you think we shouldn’t do it after all?” he asked. Yeosang lifted his head, frowning even though Wooyoung couldn’t see it in the darkness.

”What do you mean?”

”Do you regret the plan we agreed on? That we go to your old home and see if the gem is there?” Wooyoung explained.  
”We can still come up with something else.”

No they could not. Yeosang was sure that he was right, no matter how much it hurt him. And he couldn’t chicken out. That would mean letting absolutely everyone down. Hongjoong would be disappointed, Seonghwa would remain in his invisible chains, everything they had done would be for nothing. And it would be all because he was too much of a coward to face the real state of things. 

”We have to do it”, he said, quiet yet determined, wiping his eyes that refused to stop watering.   
”I want to help Seonghwa and... I need to know. I need to find out if what we think is actually true.”

”Even if the truth hurts?” Wooyoung asked.

”The uncertainty hurts even worse”, Yeosang whispered back.

Yeosang was at the same time grateful and terrified of the fact that days on the ship passed by quickly, as they made as few stops as possible. While he was busy doing his tasks and welcomed the distraction, it was the realization of how close to the grand temple they already were that fed the growing dread inside him. Soon they would reach the place and make an actual plan of how to infiltrate a temple.

And it was for that purpose that Hongjoong invited both him and Yunho into his cabin one night. 

”I feel like I’ve been repeating myself for the last few months but we have to be very careful”, the captain began, with Yunho and Yeosang nodding. It seemed to have become somewhat of a stock phrase, but it didn’t make it any less true. 

Especially since a realization struck Yeosang right after the words had left Hongjoong’s mouth.

”I just remembered”, he said.   
”The bounty hunters knew what ship to look for. So it’s very likely that someone at the grand temple and at the city might recognize  _ Aurora _ right as we sail to the port.”

”True”, Yunho nodded alongside him, leaning on Hongjoong’s desk.   
”That means we can’t really make port without raising suspicions. We would have to arrive at night.”

”And leave as fast as possible”, Hongjoong continued, sighing.   
”Which means there’s not much time to plan once we actually get there. Of course we could leave the ship a little further away and get to the shore by boat, but that would be kind of slow and I’m not sure whether there are any good spots where we won’t be detected right away.”

He raised his head, looking straight at Yeosang.

”We’re going to have to rely pretty heavily on your knowledge of the temple and everything that surrounds it”, he said.  
”Do you have any ideas?” 

Yeosang shifted his weight on the other leg, trying to think of any way they could sneak ashore.

”There is one really secluded spot on the rocks behind the temple”, he mused.  
”And there used to be an easy way for me to sneak there from the temple. Unless they’ve made big changes, I can still get inside from there. But it still leaves the problem with the ship.”

”True”, the captain nodded, clearly in deep thoughts.   
”How heavily guarded is the temple?”

”Very”, Yeosang answered immediately.   
”There’s always been a lot of guards there, the city has always invested heavily on the safety of the temple.”

”You mean they don’t have their own guard but it’s all the city guard?” Yunho frowned.

”Mostly, yes. I think the only ones that worked strictly at the temple were the ones keeping an eye on me”, Yeosang explained.  
”They couldn’t let just anyone do that, you know?”

”Interesting”, Hongjoong hummed, twirling one of his rings between his fingers.   
”Now, let’s say that the city was attacked from the completely other side. Would the guards leave the temple to help?”

Yeosang’s eyes followed the twirling ring. Would they? He didn’t recall it ever happening... but then again, it wasn’t very common for the city to get attacked in the first place. He however did recall a few times when a larger riot had broken out, some of the guards had left to help settle the matter... and to keep the people away from the temple. So technically, it would be plausible.

”I don’t think they would move very far, no one really wants to leave the temple unguarded”, he confessed.  
”But it’s possible?”

”So we could set up some kind of distraction”, Yunho suggested.   
”It could buy some time for those who are going to sneak in.”

Hongjoong nodded.

”That we could manage”, he said.   
”However... this is a large city guard we’re speaking of, which means we’re going to need most of us doing the distracting.”

He glanced at Yeosang again, who was instantly struck with an unpleasant feeling.

”Do you think... you could do it on your own?” he asked slowly.   
”We would need one to stay on the ship and the rest to do the distraction... and you could infiltrate the temple then.”

It was not a good plan. There were too many things that could go wrong. But Yeosang had agreed to it nonetheless. 

He would go to the temple alone. 

In theory, it made sense. He was the one who knew the entire place inside and out, and had learned to move there undetected. He even knew some of the secret passages that could be used as potential escape routes. And he was one of the more stealthier crew members, who could slip into the High Priest’s office at night and search for the gem.

All of that however didn’t change the fact that the thought of having to do it all alone terrified him. Especially as he knew the others would be putting themselves in danger while they would do their best to draw the whole city’s attention to themselves.

”We will be alright”, Hongjoong assured him.   
”Just focus on finding that gem and getting yourself out. We might have to leave ahead if things get too heated. And the very moment you get near water, call for Seonghwa. He can get any pursuer off your back and bring you to us.”

Seonghwa would be mad, Yeosang knew that. But if it got them the gem, it would all be worth it, and he couldn’t be angry at them for too long or refuse to help them. 

Still, no matter of reassurances from everyone else that they got everything under control could shake off the terror that had stuck to him. 

And it only grew when it came time to execute the mission. As the looming figure of the grand temple got closer.

Rowing a boat alone was difficult, but thankfully the others had dropped him off pretty close. He could manage this and not be half dead by the time he’d get to shore. Yeosang tried to focus on that instead of what lay ahead. 

The lights of the city had not yet all gone out, but it was dark enough that others could make it to the port mostly undetected, and nobody definitely would notice him here, a lone boat in the darkness. He would be able to slip to the rocks completely undetected. And he was prepared for the sneaking he would have to do.

What he was not prepared for, and what actually had him let out an undignified screech, was a hand suddenly emerging from the water, grabbing the side of his boat. If someone was standing on the rocks - which thankfully, was not the case - they would definitely have heard him. 

Another hand followed, and soon Yeosang saw a head of black wet hair surface as Seonghwa pulled himself up, landing opposite him on the boat. A small wave of relief washed over him, but it subsided quickly when he saw the look in the other’s eyes.

Seonghwa was definitely not pleased.

”What do you think you’re doing?” while his voice was calm, there was a dark undertone to it, as if trying to hold back anger. Yeosang heard himself gulp audibly. 

”I told you to stay away from the temples, Yeosang”, Seonghwa continued before he could reply.  
”And now you’re here at the grand temple! Do you  _ want _ to get caught by them and get sent to the island again?”

Yeosang bit his lip. 

”I’m here because the gem is here”, he tried to stay calm as he spoke.   
”The fortress at the Grey Chain was completely empty. There was nothing! And then I realized...”

He paused for a while as he watched shock color Seonghwa’s face. 

”I realized that the letter I took along with the key... the handwriting was familiar. And that you recognized it too, when I showed it to you”, he continued, staring down at Seonghwa.  
”Seonghwa, I need you to tell me the truth. Is the High Priest your master?”

There, he had asked outright, at the very first chance. Seonghwa was staring at him with a strange, conflicted look. He wouldn’t let him squirm away from the topic if he would even dare to try such a thing. Eventually the staring tactic seemed to work, as Seonghwa let out a long, deep sigh.

”I thought... that we could have pulled this off without you having to find out”, he said quietly, instantly confirming all of Yeosang’s suspicions at once.  
”But it seems this was inevitable.”

”So it seems”, Yeosang nodded. He didn’t even have to ask why Seonghwa had tried to hide it, his reaction spoke enough.   
”Now, the gem is somewhere at the temple and we don’t have much time, so if you’d be so kind and help me row so I could finally get to the shore?”

Seonghwa eyed the boat for a moment before gesturing to him to let go of the oar. When Yeosang did, he felt the waves beneath them speed up, leading them towards the rocks much faster. Another one of Seonghwa’s very useful tricks, he thought.

”Why are you here alone?” Seonghwa asked as the waves guided them forward. 

”The others are creating a distraction”, Yeosang explained.   
”I’m not sure about what exactly they’re going to do as Hongjoong didn’t explain it to me, but they will try to draw at least some of the guards away from the temple to make this easier for me.”

He paused and adjusted his hair, now long enough to be gathered to a small ponytail. Wooyoung had insisted that it made him look adorable.

”I’m going to sneak in and find the gem, then return here. You can help me get back to the others, right?” 

Seonghwa raised his brows.

”Of course”, he nodded.   
”I promised I would help and protect you.”

”And then I can give it to you and you’ll be free”, Yeosang finished.   
”I know it’s a very risky plan, but we don’t really have any other choice.”

Seonghwa looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn’t seem to find a proper argument. Yeosang knew he was right. 

As they finally got close enough, they hopped off the boat and dragged it on the rocks. Nevermind that they probably wouldn’t even need it again. Yeosang glanced at the temple rising above them as the rocks tilted slightly uphill. The climb wasn’t very stark or even that long, however. But he would have to wait, just a little while. Until the others would certainly get close enough to the port. Only then would he sneak in. 

As he took a step forward, he felt a hand grab his arm.

”Wait.”

He turned his head to see Seonghwa stand next to him, his tentacles reaching for the water behind them. 

”Are you sure you want to do this?”

He had been expecting the question.

”I promised I would help you”, Yeosang said firmly. 

”I know you did, but...” Seonghwa seemed to hesitate for a moment.   
”I just wanted to keep you away from this. I know he’s important to you.”

Yeosang huffed quietly, taking a step closer to Seonghwa.

”And so are you”, he asserted, reaching to press a short kiss on the other’s lips. It seemed to take Seonghwa by surprise, even if he did welcome the gesture, kissing back softly. 

”I- thank you”, he whispered against Yeosang’s mouth.  
”You have no idea how much this means to me, little starfish.”

Yeosang inhaled quietly. He had made a promise, and he was going to keep it. But Seonghwa did have a point as well. Which was why he needed to know something. 

”Seonghwa”, he said, getting the other’s attention.  
”Before I go, you need to tell me something.”

Seonghwa nodded, waiting for his question with curiosity on his face.

”Hongjoong said the High Priest has made you do something you regret.”

Yeosang could see how the man in front of him stiffened in discomfort.

”What is it that he made you do?” he asked.

For several moments, Seonghwa didn’t reply to him, keeping his eyes strictly on their feet. Yeosang stared expectantly at him, trying to contain his impatience. He knew already it would be something horrible and he wanted to be done with it. He had a mission to do, after all. He had to be mindful of the time he had. 

”... I think I’ve been at his service for around three decades now”, Seonghwa began, his eyes still not meeting Yeosang’s.  
”He found the gem and claimed ownership of it a little before he got into his current position. And then he took over. A few years later, they sent a Spark. The one before you.”

Yeosang held his breath. At the same time the topic felt surprising, but also like he should have expected it. 

”She was... not ready for it. And as you know, she didn’t complete the ritual”, Seonghwa explained slowly.   
”She managed to escape. I was sent to look after her for the whole time. And... I of course had to report what she had done after it was asked of me.”

He did not like where this was going. At all. Seonghwa sounded pained, having Yeosang reach for his hand in order to comfort him.

”So, since she wasn’t going to finish the ritual, I was ordered to hunt her down.”

He felt the hairs on his neck rise up, a tale he had heard somewhere a while ago briefly resurfacing in his mind.

”But only after driving her mad.”

He had definitely heard the story before. One of a young woman believing herself to be cursed, to bring ruin wherever she went as ships got dragged down to the depths on her tracks. 

All of that Seonghwa’s doing. All of that the High Priest’s doing. 

Yeosang squeezed Seonghwa’s hand briefly, before turning away. 

”I have to go. We don’t have all night.”

"Yeosang-"

"I'm not blaming you", Yeosang interrupted.   
"It wasn't like you had a choice, right?"

From the corner of his eye he saw Seonghwa's shouders slump as he bit his lip.

"I didn't", he confirmed. Yeosang nodded.

"Wait for me here. I'll be back with the gem soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear, I absolutely loved to see how y'all realized where the story was going in the earlier chapters' comments <3
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	20. In which best laid plans go astray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like it's been ages since I updated any fic but I know that ain't true? :D This chapter stretched a little further than I thought it would! It also might not be as well proof-read, so I hope there's not any glaring mistakes...
> 
> Once again thank you all for kudos and comments <3

Yeosang wasn’t sure how many people at the temple knew of the secret passage. He had found it by accident when he had been fourteen and it had given him a way to sneak out of his room to have some other place to spend time. The guards assigned to him hardly ever followed him to his private quarters, preferring to stay at the end of the lonely corridor, or perhaps they had been instructed to keep their distance. It was more than enough, since there was only one way to get to the Spark’s chambers. Or so most people thought. 

As Yeosang climbed to the root of the temple wall, he reached out to it with his hand, trying to feel for the right tile. There were a few that moved, and it didn’t take long to find the right ones. He pressed lightly and they moved out of the way, opening a small space for him to slip inside. It was very narrow, but he could move further without an issue. Immediately he met stark stairs leading upwards. The rise would be long, but it would take him to a presumably very safe spot inside the temple.

To his old room. The passageway had been hidden behind a bookcase. Yeosang didn’t know whose idea it had been, but the tiny passage seemed very old and he would have very much liked to thank whoever came up with it. It was exactly what he needed right now. 

The new Spark had not yet been chosen, there was no need for guards. The room would be empty, no one had any reason to come in there. It was the perfect spot to get inside. Unless someone was expecting it...

That couldn’t happen, right? Yeosang took a calming breath, shaking his head as he climbed the last steps, his legs protesting about the quick and steep rise. Finally it ended, his hands meeting the wooden surface. He would only have to push and it would give way. He stood in front of it for a good while before actually going through with the act, trying his best to listen that there were no sounds coming from the other side. To make sure no one would ambush him all of a sudden.

No one knew he was here. There had been no one following _Aurora_ for weeks, Seonghwa had made sure of it. There was no way anyone could have gotten wise to their plans beforehand. Not when Hongjoong and the others hadn’t even started their distraction yet. But that would happen soon, he predicted. And after that he would have to move quickly. 

The bookshelf moved forward as he pushed, making an unfortunate amount of noise. Yeosang grimaced but continued pushing until it had moved enough out of the way to allow him to slip into the room. He briefly considered moving the shelf back to cover the passage, but decided against it. It would slow him down if and when he would make his exit, and no one would probably stumble upon it while he was away. There was no reason for anyone to come here... Yeosang was quite sure no one else at the temple these days knew the secret passageway existed. They would have stopped him from using it to sneak away to the rocks whenever he had felt like it if they had known. Would likely have tried to block it somehow. 

He glanced around in the room. Empty, just as expected. And almost exactly as he remembered it being before leaving for the island. Not that there was much to begin with, he never really had that many personal belongings. _What is there that you would even need_ , had someone said. They had probably been right, but the lack of... everything in the room had made it feel a little gloomy and unpleasant to be in at times. Even the bookshelf was mostly empty. Nearly everything he had ever read had been from books he had borrowed from the High Priest or someone else in the temple. 

No wonder he had taken the chances to get to the rocks at times. While there had been nothing of note or no one to keep him company by the sea, at least the winds and smell of the sea had been something compared to the room he had called his own for many years. 

His old bed seemed untouched as well, and the stuffy air told him no one had bothered to come in and open the window for a while. He wouldn’t be doing it now either. There were more important matters at hand, and he was wasting time.

He tiptoed to the door and after pressing his ear against it to make sure there was no one on the other side, pulled it open. The corridor was dark and there were no signs of any guards nearby. Perfect.

Yeosang checked his weapons. His sword was in place, as was his pistol and one of the daggers and the few smoke bombs Mingi had given him. To be ready for anything. 

This would be the most difficult part, even harder than actually finding the gem. He already had an idea of where it would be. But actually getting there and out unnoticed was the real challenge. One that Yeosang wasn’t particularly confident in facing, but he had no other choice. 

The temple had always been kind of quiet at night. Yeosang had noticed it whenever he had been allowed to walk the grounds later than usual, which hadn’t been often. A couple of times he had, however, managed to sweet talk the guards into letting him stretch his legs a little, with supervision of course. But it had been something. 

Unless it was a special occasion, everyone at the temple usually retired into their bedchambers before midnight, with only the temple guards standing watch. And if everything still was like it used to be, those guards were not the most attentive, and if Hongjoong’s plan would work, at least some of them would get pulled away from the temple, making it easier for Yeosang to sneak into the High Priest’s office. 

It seemed like the best place to look for the gem. The High Priest didn’t strike Yeosang as someone who would keep such a thing in a private bedchamber, especially when the office was more likely to have a convenient hiding spot. The man had often worked late hours, but perhaps he would get lucky and the place would be empty, without having to wait. 

The hardest part was still getting there, as the office was on a whole other side of the temple grounds, in a different building. He would have to cross the courtyard. Which he had never seen unguarded, since that’s where most of them gathered. 

As he quietly walked along the corridors, peeking behind the corners to make sure the coast was clear, Yeosang hoped that whatever Hongjoong had planned, it would distract everyone long enough for him to sneak past unnoticed. 

He had gotten quite far from where he started when he first heard someone moving. He pressed himself against the wall, waiting, and thankfully the sound of footsteps seemed to head away from him. No one would be running across him. But the steps seemed to be in a hurry. Yeosang waited for a little more before continuing forward. If he remembered correctly, the courtyard wasn’t very far. He would have to be very careful but also couldn’t afford any kind of stalling. The worst kind of combination, but one he had to make work for himself right now. 

The noises increased in both volume and quantity as he got closer to the courtyard. At the same time he swore he could hear something from much farther away as well.

The others must have started their distraction. Which meant his chance would come soon.

Yeosang sneaked forward to the doorway that led to the courtyard, making sure no one was behind him as well. He could hear the guards speaking on the other side. Those would be the ones usually watching over the courtyard. The ones he would have to sneak past, preferably without having to hurt them. It would cost him a lot of time, and Yeosang wasn’t confident he could actually take on two or three people at once. 

”There’s something going on in the city.” 

”Someone partying a little too hard?” 

”Doesn’t sound like that to me.” 

Yeosang could hear the voices from afar only faintly, but they didn’t sound like a party to him either. More like a fight. He hoped it would be enough.

”Should we go check it out?” 

”There’s nothing better to do, isn’t there? Let’s go see it at the gate, if the guys there know anything.” 

Something in this universe was on his side, Yeosang couldn’t have been more grateful as he heard two sets of footsteps move away, to the direction he knew the temple gate was in. After they had faded enough, he carefully pushed the door open, peeking out. 

There were a couple of lanterns lit as always at night, but otherwise the courtyard was dark. And just as he had hoped, now it was also empty, or at least he didn’t detect any movement that suggested that someone was standing there. 

Their plan had worked. At least enough that Yeosang could slip into the right building. Getting back could prove trickier if the guards came back before he was ready, but at that point he would simply have to improvise. Use his smoke bomb and simply run, in the worst case he would have to fight his way out. Anything that got him close enough to the water again and Seonghwa could handle the rest. 

Yeosang stepped to the courtyard, carefully closing the door to not make any noise, and headed towards the other side, keeping to the side of the buildings just in case someone would come and he could avoid detection a little longer. However, no one appeared and he got to the right building quickly. Once again he made sure no one was waiting behind the door before he opened it slowly. There would be guards inside somewhere but if his memory served him right, there wasn’t ever anyone just standing in front of the doors that led to the High Priest’s office, unless things had changed. However, he would have to be careful and quiet nonetheless, in case the guards were actually patrolling the corridors instead of distracting themselves with a conversation or a game. 

Once again he tiptoed forward. The office wasn’t thankfully very far, only at the other end of the corridor. Yeosang remembered how he could see the city from the windows every time he had visited the office. He would have to take a look now as well, just to see if the crew had managed to actually wreak havoc. 

As he reached the door, he stopped yet again. How could he be sure that the High Priest wouldn’t be inside? It wasn’t unheard of that he would only leave late at night... and one man would not make much noise, so even when Yeosang tried his best to listen in, he couldn’t be completely sure that the office would be empty... was there any way to make sure?

In the end, someone else made the decision for him. As Yeosang heard distant footsteps coming from the other corridor, he pulled the door open and slipped inside, trying to close it behind him as discreetly as possible. 

The office was dark, which was a good sign. It also made his work much harder. He hadn’t brought any light source with him, so the search for the gem would have to be done in the dark. The windows brought in the smallest of light, carried from somewhere outside, but it didn’t help him much. Yeosang backed away from the door. 

Time to get to work. He was so close. The gem would have to be here. He couldn’t let Seonghwa and his crew down now. 

He had to succeed. Now, where would one keep a gem? Yeosang looked around, seeing the familiar large decorative maps on the walls, he remembered having stared in awe when he had first seen them. One wall was covered in bookshelves that vaguely resembled the one in what used to be his room, except much larger. In addition to books they seemed to be stacked in other curious objects. It would be a good spot to check. And of course he would have to take a look at the High Priest’s desk. A place where a controlling tool like the gem would be easily in his reach.

Yeosang got to work, trying his hardest to not make noise as he shifted through the objects placed on the bookshelves, checking every shelf and even moving some books to make sure none of them were actually simply just book-shaped boxes. After the shelves he got to the desk, pulling open a few drawers. Most of them held opened letters, some of their envelopes seeming more full than others. Yeosang picked up a small box from the upper drawer. It was slightly larger than the one Hongjoong kept the souls of the Dead Crew, but not so big that it could store much of anything that was supposed to be something other than decorative. It was then that Yeosang wondered what size the gem he was looking for was supposed to be. Was it palm-sized or something so small it would do as a gemstone for a ring? Something that would fit a box like this...?

He opened it, squinting to see the insides. 

On a small bed of fabric lay a round object about the size of a large plum, glistening in the small flicks of light the windows let in. Yeosang’s eyes couldn’t make out its color in the dark, but as he touched it, the surface felt cool and smooth, different from a rock.

Was this what he was looking for? The fact that it was even kept in a box inside a drawer seemed to indicate it was a significant object. He lifted it out of the box, weighing it on his hand and examining it carefully. He remembered seeing some gems when they had gotten particularly lucky with one plundering. This looked quite a bit like them. 

It had to be the right gem. There was nothing else in the office that even came close to this, and Yeosang refused to believe he could make an error and somehow end up picking the wrong gem. When there obviously were no other gems to take anyway. He dropped it inside his pocket, right next to the pearl he still kept with him. The box he shut again and put it back to the drawer. 

He had gotten what he needed. Now all he had to do was to get to the shore. To get out of the temple. Yeosang moved back to the doors but froze midway when they were pulled open in front of him. A light coming from a lantern filled the room, its’ sudden appearance causing him to instinctively shield his eyes.

He felt his blood freeze in his veins as he finally lifted his hand away from his face. _He had been so close._

”Some nerve you have, to come back like this.” 

Yeosang had been hoping he would never have to hear that voice again. The disdain it was laced with almost physically hurt, making something twist in his stomach. He recognized the dark robes he had been used to seeing every day for over twenty years. He didn’t want to look up and see their owner’s face. He did it anyway. 

Nothing had changed, the High Priest looked exactly like he remembered, besides the stern look that at that moment seemed more intense than Yeosang had ever witnessed, even when he had been in his most rebellious phase. Well, if one got technical, he thought his current situation was even more of a ”rebellious phase” than whatever he had been when he was around fourteen. 

”You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble, Yeosang.” 

Yeosang tried not to grimace as his name was called. He would never get used to the man saying it. 

”I was lucky that the only person recognizing you had the good sense to simply inform me and have someone track you instead of spreading the information everywhere. Think of what a scandal you almost caused. And somehow still managed to avoid capture.” 

He couldn’t help but wince at the accusing tone. Even when he knew he shouldn’t have cared anymore. 

”A Spark abandoning his duty. Again”, the High Priest continued, shaking his head and taking a few steps closer, lowering the lantern on the floor. Yeosang was frozen in place.   
”I thought the one before you failed simply because my predecessor didn’t train her well enough and I only took over a few years before she was sent. But then you do the exact same thing.” 

Yeosang bit his lip as he remembered what Seonghwa had told him just before he entered the temple. What he had been ordered to do. It was then that he found his voice again. 

”Would you have done the same to me as you did to her?” he asked, almost whispering and seemingly taking the High Priest by surprise. He drew a quick breath.   
”Would you have had me killed after driving me mad?” 

The surprise stuck on the older man’s face for a good while before he managed to gather himself once again.

”I did what had to be done”, he said.   
”And believe me, it wasn’t a pleasant option. I tried to work differently this time. I sent people to capture you and bring you back, somehow you managed to avoid them all and get all the way back here by yourself. I take it that you somehow avoided traveling by sea as much as possible.”

That was the exact opposite of what he had done. Yeosang frowned. It suggested that the High Priest had sent Seonghwa to find him, but despite having the power to order him around as he pleased, Seonghwa hadn’t told him where Yeosang was or brought him to the temple. Yeosang knew that thanks to the claim, Seonghwa couldn’t hurt him and that he would protect him but had never thought it could stretch this far in definition... but maybe it did, and it had kept him hidden until now. He’d have to thank Seonghwa. If he just could get out of here...

”It matters little now. You failed me, Yeosang. You failed your people, every single follower of the Light”, the High Priest stated venomously. Yeosang was sure he was drawing blood by now as his teeth dug into his bottom lip. 

”You were the one I chose, you showed such good promise. And then you decide not to complete the ritual and simply leave and think there would be no consequences.” 

”That’s not true”, Yeosang argued back, hating how weak he sounded. Hating the condescending look he got in response.   
”I didn’t choose to leave. And there was no way for me to even complete the ritual! How was I supposed to do it when the previous Spark’s remains weren’t there like you said they would?”

He hadn’t thought of it in a while. It had briefly crossed his mind when Seonghwa had told him what had happened, and suddenly his predicament on the island had made perfect sense. It had caused him to feel even more resentment towards the High Priest at that moment, as he had knowingly sent him on an impossible mission. 

But now, as he looked at the man’s face, he wasn’t sure if it had been done quite so knowingly, as the High Priest’s face twisted in confusion. Like there had been something he hadn’t expected in Yeosang’s words. 

”But I did-” 

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by voices from the door. 

”Sir, what’s going on?” 

Two guards stood on the doorway as Yeosang peeked past the High Priest’s tall frame. They were in the way, but all three were now distracted. This was his chance to run. He had to act quickly. And while he didn’t particularly like the thought of having to hurt the man who’d raised him, he couldn’t bring himself to feel too bad about it either. He pulled out his dagger as he made a move towards the door, ready to dash and slash as he’d go past-

He didn’t expect his wrist to be grabbed in a bruising grip and to be thrown on the floor in a hot second. He heard the guards pulling out their swords as his arm was twisted behind his back, trying to make him drop the dagger. A knee pressed on his back. 

In retrospect he felt like he’d been a complete idiot. For a man in such a high position and with protection available by simply snapping his fingers, the High Priest had always been in good shape and had even told Yeosang that he knew well how to defend himself. 

”We have an intruder”, the High Priest’s voice had returned to the calm and authoritative tone Yeosang remembered well. It was always used when he was addressing the guards or someone else that was only there to hear orders or instructions.   
”I suppose it has to do with the situation that was going on elsewhere in the city. Has there been any reports?”

”Just now one of our guards came in”, one guard with a very low voice replied as Yeosang tried to wiggle in the High Priest’s grip with weak results.  
”Apparently a group of pirates came to wreak havoc, but the situation is under control and they’ve been captured. The city watch will address it first thing in the morning.” 

Yeosang froze. _Captured._ The rest of the crew had been captured. All of a sudden everything seemed to be going terribly, terribly wrong. They had been so close to freeing Seonghwa and escaping...

The High Priest seemed to notice his reaction. 

”Looks like you managed to seduce yourself some help, Yeosang”, he said, Yeosang wincing at the mocking words.   
”And look what good it did to you.”

Yeosang struggled weakly as the dagger was wrestled off of him, feeling his sleeves roll up involuntarily. All of a sudden, the High Priest seemed to freeze for a moment. Then he grabbed the sleeve of Yeosang’s jacket, rolling it and the shirt’s sleeve up even further.

”What’s this?”

Yeosang held his breath. He knew what the High Priest was seeing. His voice was suddenly shaking with hidden, sudden rage.

Seonghwa’s marks. He must know what they were. 

”That filthy beast!” Yeosang heard the man hiss.   
”You two!”

Yeosang looked up at the two guards who almost startled when they were suddenly addressed.

”I have urgent business to attend to. I need you to take care of him for me”, the High Priest could barely keep the anger off his voice. Yeosang almost cowered as he felt the guards’ eyes on him. 

”What shall we do with him?” 

”Wait, is that-” 

”Lock him up to the basement for now”, the High Priest interrupted before the other guard could finish his sentence and express that he had recognized Yeosang.   
”And make sure that absolutely no one else knows that he’s here. Not a word, not a soul will know about this. Understood?”

Yeosang knew why. The High Priest was still trying to avoid the scandal that would go off the instant someone too loose-lipped would see Yeosang here. The Spark that had been sent away months ago suddenly returning and revealing the ritual had been a failure would do serious damage to the image of the Grand Temple and especially its leader, regardless of the circumstances. For a moment Yeosang considered screaming. Letting everyone know where he was. 

”Don’t even think about it, Yeosang. You’ve caused quite enough trouble for me already”, the High Priest seemed to sense his thoughts as he stood up. The guards quickly shuffled to take his place in keeping Yeosang under control, pointing swords at him.

”Now, if you’d excuse me.”

He watched the man stride away as the guards pulled him up off the floor. Another wave of fear flashed through him. Yeosang knew exactly where the High Priest was headed to.

He had to stop him. Before he could hurt Seonghwa. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all knew this was going to go wrong, right?
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)


	21. In which Yeosang has to think fast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a timing! It's October 24th in my time zone, even if AO3 doesn't agree with me yet! Happy 2nd anniversary to ATEEZ!
> 
> Thank you again for all your kudos and comments <3  
> Also thank you @nbb_archive for this [ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE FANART](https://twitter.com/nbb_archive/status/1317597510630735872?s=20) of Undrowned <333 You should go check that out if you haven't already! And if you have, go check it out again!
> 
> A difficult chapter to write, but I did it! We're almost at the end, omg.

What were you supposed to do when you were out of options? When all your friends were away from you, supposedly in trouble as well and in no position to help? And when the most dangerous person in the perimeter had just left the room with the intention of hurting someone you cared for and wanted to protect? 

Apparently the answer was to try to make the job of the guards tasked to apprehend you as difficult as possible. Yeosang didn't know if that would actually do him much good but if everything was going to go wrong, it wouldn't be due to his lack of trying. 

He needed to figure out a way to get away quickly, and then race back to the rocks, to Seonghwa. From there they’d have to find _ Aurora _ and plan how to help the rest of the crew. 

However, the guards were a pressing problem. Literally, as one of them was pressing him to the floor as the other stripped him of his sword and pistol. Yeosang gritted his teeth as he tried to fight back, praying they wouldn’t notice the smoke bombs in his pockets. He would only need to get his hands to at least one of them... maybe it would be enough of a distraction to allow him to slip away. 

When they tried to lift him up, Yeosang allowed himself to go fully limp in their grip. He needed to get at least one hand free enough to slip it to the jacket pocket...

”Hey, don’t even try it!” 

The guard on his left yanked painfully on his arm to drag him back up.

”On your feet!” 

Yeosang glared at the man as he reluctantly stood up properly. As he did so, he felt the hold they had on him loosen. Apparently they went back to the earlier strategy, assuming that he would be intimidated by them holding out their swords so much that he wouldn’t try anything. 

Well he was kind of intimidated, as he had no weapons himself anymore, so he couldn’t fight them off. But they were wrong to assume he wouldn’t do anything. 

He’d just have to wait for the right moment. Just something small that would grant him an opening.

Yeosang expected the guards to order him to move, but the one on his right leaned closer to him to look at his face instead.

”Holy shit, it really is you, isn’t it?” he said, surprised. Yeosang wondered if he actually saw anything when the only source of light was the lantern behind them that the High Priest had left on the floor.   
”The Spark.”

”Must be, I remember that face”, the other agreed, the one that had almost pointed it out a while ago but had been interrupted.   
”No wonder the High Priest doesn’t want anyone to see him. He should have been nothing but bones by now.”

”Yet here I am”, Yeosang couldn’t help but retort. 

”Yet here you are”, both of the guards nodded as they gestured for him to start walking. He remained still.

”Armed and sneaking around”, one of them added.   
”Were you planning to come back to take your mentor’s life, perhaps? Decided to do the one exact thing you weren’t supposed to do and run away?”

Yeosang gritted his teeth, glaring at the men. What did they know? Okay, when judging from an outsider’s perspective, it sounded like something a jaded Spark would try to do... but it had never been his plan. He was here for the gem, but of course no one but the High Priest would know that it even existed.

Which now made Yeosang wonder if even the High Priest had realized why he was here in the first place. He had made no move to search him further, to see if he had taken the gem. Or checked the drawer to see if it was still in place. 

Either he hadn’t figured out why Yeosang had returned, or the gem in the drawer had not been what he was looking for. 

Then again, it seemed way too convoluted to leave a copy somewhere where no one but an expected thief would look... and while it was strange that the High Priest had caught him in the act, he hadn’t seemed like he’d been expecting him. 

Which meant that the gem in his pocket was the real one he needed to free Seonghwa from the High Priest’s command, and the man had made a huge oversight if he hadn’t expected that Yeosang would try to steal it. 

As the guards got tired of his disobedience and pushed him to move, Yeosang realized there was another mistake the High Priest had made. 

He had left him alone here, free to make his presence as known as he liked. 

It was an opportunity. One he would not let go to waste.

”I have no intention to kill him”, he answered the question no one really had expected him to reply, if the expressions the guards pulled were of any indication. He made sure to raise his voice, in case someone would be in earshot.   
”I don’t think I have to.”

”What the hell are you trying to pull here?” one of the guards huffed, disbelieving.   
”Are you trying to get us all ruined?”

”As if a failing Spark wasn’t ruin enough”, the other said.   
”It’s said that should one fail and leave the island, they bring ruin wherever they go.”

”Is it now?” Yeosang tilted his head, slowing his steps as they reached the door.  
”Or is it what they want you to believe? I mean, everything has been just fine for the last few decades or so before I was sent, and the ritual failed back then.”

He knew better. Well, he didn’t exactly know whether there had ever been a runaway Spark before his predecessor and himself, but he knew full well what had caused such ”ruin” last time. And that none of it had been made public knowledge, everyone had believed that the ritual had been a success.

”What are you babbling about?” the guard on his left grunted. 

”Nothing? Except the fact that the Spark before me abandoned her duty and escaped the island? Just like I did, except it wasn’t really even my decision, as I was unconscious and happened to get picked up by a ship that was sailing by”, Yeosang continued. Very slowly and carefully he slid his hand into his jacket’s large pocket. The two smoke bombs he had were still there.   
”None of this ruin has happened, has it?”

”He’s lying”, the guard on the right claimed immediately.   
”He’s just trying to stall here, now let’s go before the High Priest comes back. Or anyone else gets here.”

The other seemed to agree.

”He’s going to have our heads if we let anyone see him, isn’t he?”

”I don’t think he’d have the power to have that happen if it came to that”, Yeosang interrupted.  
”Even if there’s no ruin to follow me, he would certainly be disgraced for being such a failure that a Spark he had raised came back alive and well, and proving there’s no need for continuous human sacrifice practice?”

As the guard on his right seemed to lose his temper and moved to push him forward through the door, he pulled the smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it at their feet, leaping forward to the corridor to get out of the way. 

Mingi had told him that the smoke released would be thick at first but it wouldn’t last very long, and that he really shouldn’t use one right at his feet to avoid getting hurt. And sure enough, he heard a small explosive noise from behind him, along with the surprised yells of the guards, whose swords were now nowhere near him.

He didn’t have time to look at how much smoke there was or wasn’t, however. He had to hurry. 

Yeosang sprinted at the doors leading to the courtyard, pushing them open. 

He needed to get back to the rocks, to Seonghwa. And the fastest route was exactly where he had come from. There was a chance that the High Priest had sent someone to his old room, but it was a risk he had to take, despite being unarmed. All other exits would be more guarded and cost him time. 

There were a couple of guards and even some priests standing at the courtyard, likely woken up by the commotion happening elsewhere in the city, thanks to his friends. While they were in the way, Yeosang realized this was actually an advantage for him. 

If he hadn’t been in danger and in such a hurry, he would have smiled when all eyes landed on him, some gasping as they recognized his face.  _ Go ahead, take a good look _ . 

”Is that-” 

”It cannot be!” 

”Wait-” 

Yeosang didn’t wait. He had no time to wait. He bolted, running past everyone who stood in the way across the courtyard, to the door he had come from. He pulled the door open and slipped inside, hoping everyone would be too shocked to follow right away. Maybe a few steps behind, he certainly wouldn’t mind others discovering what the High Priest had been doing. But he couldn’t have anyone blocking his escape either. 

The corridors were thankfully still mostly empty, allowing him to dash through them as fast as his legs could carry. His heart was pounding in his ears, blocking every other sound that might have rung around him. The High Priest must have taken the same route as well. It made sense. For some reason Yeosang was sure that he also knew about the secret passage. He hoped he wouldn’t get there too late. 

His old room was exactly like he left it, the bookcase still moved out of the way, allowing him to rush down the stairs. At that point he had to slow down a little, to avoid slipping and hitting his head. There were no sounds from behind him, however, so no one would suddenly be making a grab for him. And if that happened, he still had one smoke bomb left...

He could see the opening in the wall at the bottom of the stairs already. He was close. 

_ Seonghwa, please be okay. _

He slowed down his steps further as he reached the end of the stairs, stopping completely when he reached the opening and peered down to the rocks. He could make out two figures standing, one on the rocks and one in the shallow water. 

He crept closer as he heard the High Priest’s voice. He was livid.

”How dare you defile my Spark, filthy beast!”

Yeosang nearly winced at the words despite the fact that they weren’t even directed at him. To his credit, Seonghwa seemed unaffected, as well as unharmed so far, as he noticed when he got close enough to make out his face. 

”I’ve done no such thing”, he replied calmly. 

”You ruined the ritual and covered him in your disgusting markings”, the High Priest hissed.  
”I gave you one thing to do, and you failed me! You were supposed to supervise him, not help him escape!”

Yeosang bit his cheek as he tiptoed closer. He was now here, and Seonghwa was okay, but he didn’t really have a plan anymore. What was he supposed to do now? 

The High Priest let out a frustrated sigh and ran his hand through his thick hair. 

”Now, explain to me”, he said, low and threatening.   
”How can it be that when my Spark suddenly appears at the temple once again, I hear him say that even if he’d wanted to, he _ couldn’t _ complete the ritual because the previous Spark’s remains aren’t there? Despite the fact that I recall instructing you to bring them back to the island, no matter where you happened to get rid of her.”

Yeosang stilled, his eyes finding Seonghwa, who had also tensed. He remembered how genuinely confused the High Priest had looked when he had told him. And suddenly it had made sense. Seonghwa was supposed to bring those remains to the island so they would be waiting for him. 

But he had not. 

Seonghwa suddenly glanced at him, making Yeosang hold his breath and praying he wouldn’t give his presence away immediately. He didn’t have a plan. 

”I couldn’t bring the remains”, Seonghwa replied slowly, his face giving nothing away.  
”Since there were none.”

Yeosang thought he heard a shade of regret in that voice and he could imagine why. Just what had he done to Yeosang’s predecessor? 

”You destroyed them”, the High Priest stated, his voice full of quiet rage.   
”And then you just had to steal away the next Spark as well, didn’t you? What the hell possessed you to do such a thing?”

Seonghwa fell silent, obviously reluctant to answer and only doing so when it was quickly explicitly demanded. Yeosang took again a few steps forward, trying not to slip on the rock. He was almost at the shore with them. 

”It was my plan from the very moment I saw him.” 

”What?” 

It was at that moment when, probably noticing Seonghwa having gazed at him again, the High Priest turned around to see that Yeosang was there as well, staring at them. The man’s face had been already twisted with anger and now there seemed to be an extra layer of annoyance. He was probably cursing the guards Yeosang had managed to distract with the smoke bomb. 

Yeosang stood still. What was he supposed to do now? Their original plan had been squashed, he couldn’t simply jump to the ocean and swim away. Well, technically he could, but there was something pulling him back. 

”You-” 

The High Priest let out a disbelieving, barking laugh. 

”You can’t be serious”, he huffed, glancing between both Yeosang and Seonghwa, his eyes finally settling on the latter.  
” _ You fancy him _ ? You wanted to get your disgusting little tendrils all over him, didn’t you?”

Yeosang could swear he could actually hear Seonghwa gritting his teeth in anger. 

”Couldn’t resist, could you? Is that why you had to mark him? Answer me.” 

Yeosang didn’t like the barked order one bit, and it seemed that neither did Seonghwa. 

”I had to claim him”, it sounded almost like the words were dragged out of him.  
”I cannot hurt what I’ve claimed.” 

”And you would have had him do the same to me as you did to the previous Spark, like you said”, Yeosang continued, finally inserting himself properly to the situation, but he kept his eyes at Seonghwa. His answer had sounded forced, like he was trying not to give away any information that could hurt him or Yeosang. Was he still under the High Priest’s command?

Yeosang tried to remember what Seonghwa and Hongjoong had spoken about the gem.  _ You don’t have to physically possess it as long as there is no one else to claim ownership. Magical artifacts are strange like that. _

He wasn’t sure what counted as claiming ownership, but despite the gem almost burning in his pocket, he was fairly certain he hadn’t done it yet. But maybe...

”... I see.” 

The High Priest had suddenly stepped closer and grabbed Yeosang by the arm. He heard Seonghwa exclaim in protest.

”Stay put, beast.” 

Yeosang grimaced, despising the way Seonghwa was being addressed. As if he didn’t already have a reason to detest the High Priest for what he had done. He fought back half-heartedly as the man rolled up his sleeves again to reveal Seonghwa’s marks. They seemed to have darkened once more. Maybe it was the result of them having been in closer contact recently. He wasn’t sure.

”You’re telling me that this”, the High Priest’s calloused fingers slid over the marks, making Yeosang flinch.  
”This is the reason why you haven’t been able to find him, to bring him back here when I told you to do so?”

”It would have meant harm for him, and I can’t allow that”, Seonghwa answered through clenched teeth. He still hadn’t moved from his spot, despite obviously wanting to do so, if Yeosang was reading the way he was twitching at his place correctly. He would have liked to run straight to the water as well but that seemed not to be an option at the moment. He tried to snatch his arm free from the High Priest’s grip but to no avail. 

”And yet here he is again”, the High Priest stated, finally looking at Yeosang.   
”Attempting to get rid of me on your behalf, it seems, since you broke into my office.”

So he really had been thinking Yeosang was here to kill him. Honestly, the thought hadn’t really crossed Yeosang’s mind. Only in a ”the absolute last option” manner, maybe. The grip on his arm tightened to a painful level, but he refused to let it show.

”What has he been telling you, Yeosang? Whatever it is, do you really think you can trust some creature of the sea? He’s an age-old beast with endless amounts of blood in his hands, used to manipulating anyone he sees”, his voice softened, along with his face, but the death grip was a good reminder to Yeosang of what kind of situation he was in.  
”You truly want to believe someone like that over me, the one who raised you?”

He was not going to fall for it.

”You did. You raised me to die, and you have every intention to kill me now that I failed you”, Yeosang replied quietly, looking past the High Priest at Seonghwa.  
”And he has saved my life now more than once, and I’ve found out I’d much rather stay alive and live a more interesting life than die for a cause I can’t even be sure I believe in anymore. So why wouldn’t I return the favor when he asks me for it?”

Let the man believe he was after his life, instead of the gem.

The silence following his words was so unnerving he almost forgot to breathe. He had to hope Seonghwa wouldn’t be made to say anything that would expose him, to clue the High Priest in what he was really here for. 

”Then, you leave me no choice, dearest Yeosang.” 

There was nothing loving in those words anymore. Yeosang bit his lip. 

”Seonghwa.” 

He saw the other tense so much he didn’t believe it was even possible.

”You will undo your claim on him.” 

Yeosang blinked. Wait, that wasn’t what he had expected at all. He whipped his head to the side to see Seonghwa’s face color with panic.

”No!” 

”Don’t try to fight it”, the High Priest snapped.   
”Since this is what prevents you from listening to my orders, we will get rid of it.”

Yeosang bit his lip, trying to shift subtly to feel the gem in his pocket. If things got bad... he would have to give himself away. But maybe, just maybe...

”No, please!” to hear Seonghwa sound so scared all of a sudden was heartbreaking, but he had to play along. Yeosang tugged at his arm again to try to get free once more. 

”Please.” 

He kept his own voice quiet, not trusting his ability to lie convincingly enough at the moment. The High Priest didn’t even spare a glance at him.

”Relinquish your claim on Yeosang.  _ Now. _ ” 

He tried not to flinch when several tentacles sprouted from beneath Seonghwa’s clothing, springing towards him and wrapping around his arms, dragging him closer to the water. He wiggled in their grip but there was little he could do as he felt them trace the marks. He looked up to see Seonghwa’s eyes, to see them brimming with tears.

”I’m so sorry”, he said with a broken voice.  
”I’m sorry, little starfish...”

Had he realized or not? Yeosang glanced back at his arms.

The gray marks were rapidly fading away, until they were gone entirely. It was so strange to see his skin completely bare after so long.

Yeosang reached out an arm to try to pry off the High Priest’s hold, as he still hadn’t let go.

”Happy now?” he spat, managing to gather all of his resentment into his voice as he looked at the man. He was met with a stern look.

”This makes things a lot easier”, the High Priest replied.  
”I’m not about to get my hands dirty. That's what he's for.”

Yeosang could feel Seonghwa still behind him, as the tentacles were holding him still, much more carefully.

”You wanted to have him?” the High Priest looked past him, at Seonghwa.  
”You can. For about a minute or so.”

Yeosang took a quiet breath, waiting for the next words and hoping this would go his way.

”No, please don’t make me-” Seonghwa tried.

”Drag him to the depths”, the High Priest ordered.  
”Do it now.”

Yeosang closed his eyes and held his breath as another tentacle wrapped around his waist and he was pulled underwater. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... anticlimactic? Maybe? A little?
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare) (I also made a curiouscat, the link is in my twitter profile)


	22. In which Yeosang makes a public appearance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end oh god! At the end of the year and at the end of this story! Also this week has been Chaotic (on a global level, not on personal level, thankfully).  
> I feel like I've been away from this fic a while, since at the end of October I focused on writing [Blue Band-Aid](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27272704). Please check out that one as well, I'm pretty happy with it~
> 
> Thank you, once again for your comments and kudos <33 Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The deeper he was dragged, the colder the water was getting. His breath was running out by now. Yeosang hadn’t counted for how long he had been holding it. But he was so deep in the water they had to be quite far away from the shore.

Far away from the High Priest. 

The hold Seonghwa’s tentacles had on him was firm, he felt Seonghwa’s presence somewhere close behind him. He likely was still mostly in his human form. They had to be very deep in the water by now.

Yeosang stopped trying to hold in the last shreds of air he had.

It was just as he had suspected.

At the same moment he felt an arm wrap around his waist, slightly above the tentacle, and instead of sinking, they started to rise towards the surface. 

He still gasped as his head was out of the water. Must be a reflex.

”He really should need to learn to choose his words better”, Seonghwa murmured into his ear.   
”As he never ordered me to lift you up from those depths... or to actually kill you.”

Of which Yeosang was more than grateful for. 

”Indeed”, he said.   
”I was kind of hoping you would find a loophole in an order... and you did.”

”I’ve had years of practice”, Seonghwa stated.   
”Besides, you still have my gift, despite the fact that I had to...”

He reached to caress Yeosang’s arms, tracing the lines where his markings had just been moments ago. Yeosang turned around in the water to face him as the tentacles’ grip on him loosened a little. They were doing the biggest job keeping him afloat, he barely had to do anything.

”I noticed, and I realized I would still have it”, he confirmed.   
”Since Hongjoong told me he has the gift of undrowning as well and as far as I know, you never claimed him like you did me.”

Seonghwa let out a little huff as he nodded.

”Suddenly I understand how you seemed so calm back there, little starfish...”

Yeosang didn’t think he had been calm at all. Maybe he had simply learned to hide his fear and uncertainty well enough. The High Priest surely hadn’t noticed, it seemed. Which was an advantage. 

”Do you think he returned to the temple already?” he asked, looking around but failing to see much. It was dark, and most of the city lights were out by now. He guessed they had withdrawn quite far from the shore. 

”He has no reason to wait there... but there’s another secluded spot on the shore close by, if you wish to get out of the water”, Seonghwa mused. 

”Please.” 

”Alright, I’ll get us there.” 

That secluded spot was thankfully further away from the temple, closer to the shadier, poor parts of the city, if Yeosang’s memory was correct. Not a place he would have ever before been allowed to visit. It was very quiet as the sea was surprisingly calm. 

He stepped on the dry stones, glancing at Seonghwa, who stayed in the shallow water himself. The tentacles had withdrawn once more completely. Yeosang however frowned at his expression. Seonghwa still seemed oddly tense, almost frightened. 

Had he seriously not realized? Did he think Yeosang had failed...?

”Little starfish.”

Seonghwa’s voice was shaky, confirming his suspicions.

”I can’t do it again, he would just make me undo it again, and next time he won’t be so careless with his words”, he shook his head, obviously distraught.   
”He will demand me to return soon, to confirm you’re dead... I can buy you some time, get you quickly somewhere far away, but from then on you need to stay on land at all times and just be careful. I know it’s-”

”Seonghwa”, Yeosang cut him off and to his slight surprise, the other shut up immediately.   
”You don’t have to.”

”I promised to protect you”, Seonghwa protested.  
”I’ll still do it, claim or not!”

”And I said you don’t have to”, Yeosang asserted, taking a step closer to him.   
”The High Priest won’t be a problem anymore, so I have no one to run away from, except maybe for some pirate hunters here and there.”

He slipped his hand to his pocket, his fingers curling around the plum-sized object. 

”A lot of people saw me when I ran away from the temple”, he explained.   
”With that many witnesses, and especially if I can get some more people to see me as well, there is going to be a scandal. I’d imagine he will be disgraced.”

Seonghwa still didn’t seem convinced, as he bit his lip. 

”Even if that happens, he will not forgive what happened. He would continue to hunt you and even if I claim you again-”

”Seonghwa, can you drop it about the claim?” Yeosang interrupted him again. He pulled his hand out of his pocket.   
”Or if you’re so hung up on it, how about we do it the other way? I claim you, instead.”

He opened his palm, displaying the gem and watched as Seonghwa’s eyes widened almost comically and his mouth dropped open in shock. 

”You...” 

Yeosang tilted his head and smiled. 

”Since I got this now... he shouldn’t have any power over you, isn’t that right?” 

The words had barely left his mouth when he felt himself getting pulled forward, Seonghwa capturing his lips in an intense kiss. It felt different than the ones they had shared before, like there were more emotions expressed than just affection. Yeosang kissed back, throwing his hands behind Seonghwa’s neck, carefully rubbing his fingers over the damp, smooth skin. He felt the man shake slightly against him, but he could feel that this time, it was out of pure joy. 

”You did it... you really did it!” he was sure he heard Seonghwa’s voice crack slightly.   
”Thank you, little starfish, thank you so much! I could kiss you right now.”

”You just did”, Yeosang chuckled, dropping the gem back to his pocket and receiving another overjoyed kiss. 

”I could do it a hundred times over”, Seonghwa claimed, his face had lit up into a radiant smile.   
”You’ve freed me, at last... well, technically, you’re my master now, but I don’t think I mind that one bit.”

”But that will be resolved by me just giving it to you”, Yeosang stated.   
”And as much as I would like to get those hundred kisses... we still have a problem to solve.”

He hated to see Seonghwa’s smile disappear, but they did indeed still have work to do.

”What do you mean?” Seonghwa asked. 

”When they caught me at the temple, I heard that the crew got themselves captured”, Yeosang explained.  
”We need to help them.”

He tried to remember what had been said. Captured, nothing had been mentioned of someone getting killed... Yeosang certainly hoped that wasn’t the case. But they might have gotten hurt, badly... 

No, he wanted to believe that for now, they had only been locked up. Something to be handled first thing in the morning, he recalled one of the guards saying. They didn’t have much time, then. Yeosang remembered what he had heard during his years spent at the temple. Pirates usually didn’t get much of a trial, especially someone who had such a reputation like Hongjoong did. The city guard and the governor would push for a swift execution. 

And he couldn’t let that happen. One look at Seonghwa told him that he was thinking the same. 

”In that case, we should hurry”, he said.   
”There are cells quite close to the port, aren’t there? Do you think that’s where they’re kept?”

Yeosang didn’t really know much about the port, he had never visited it, other than that time he had left for the island, and even then he hadn’t seen much, since there had been endless masses of people in the way, gathered to see him off for what was supposed to be his last journey. 

”Maybe”, he shrugged, and then remembered what Hongjoong had said about their plan.   
”... there should be one person left to watch over the ship. We need to get there first.” 

Seonghwa nodded, taking a step deeper to the water and reaching out to him.

”Take my hand then”, he nodded.   
”I’ll get us there in no time.”

In the dark waters it was impossible to distinguish whether Seonghwa had partially shifted into some other form than human or if he just was able to make them swim a lot faster than would ever be possible for a normal person. Yeosang barely had to even do anything but to hold on. And before he knew it, they had reached  _ Aurora _ . 

To his relief, it was quiet in the port, indicating that even though the crew had been captured, no one had come to raid the ship yet. At least Yeosang hoped so. Or he was too late and the last member had also been taken away...

He shook the thought away as Seonghwa shot a couple of his tentacles upwards, pulling himself up and over the railing. Yeosang huffed quietly as he quickly swam to the ladder, climbing up as well. 

As his feet finally met the familiar wood of the deck, he heard the telltale sound of a sword being pulled out of its sheath. His head snapped up as he looked around to locate the source. That turned out to be standing right by him, and immediately lowered the weapon as recognition flashed in his eyes. 

”Thank goodness!” Yunho exhaled, while Yeosang tried to hide how badly the other had just startled him.   
”I’m so worried about the others, I’ve seen or heard nothing so far and they’ve been gone for way too long, and for a moment I thought you wouldn’t make it back either...”

His voice trailed off as he looked past Yeosang, finally noticing Seonghwa, who stood a little further away. As Yeosang turned to look at him as well, he noticed the tension return to his form. It was no wonder, really, since it had been months, and Seonghwa had disappeared without an explanation... 

Yeosang bit his lip as Yunho took a couple steps forward, feeling nervous, even when the first mate sheathed his sword again. Seonghwa seemed to be feeling the same way, he looked like he was contemplating whether to run away or not. 

”It really is you”, Yunho’s voice gave nothing away. Yeosang could swear he heard Seonghwa gulp. 

”Yunho, I’m-”

Whatever he was about to say was quickly forgotten, when Yunho pulled him into a hug. Yeosang watched as the other man went rigid, not sure how to react when the response to his presence wasn’t any kind of scolding or even outright hostility. Which was ridiculous, Yeosang huffed to himself. The others had missed Seonghwa more than anything. 

”Good to see you”, Yunho smiled, his eyes glistening.   
”Alive, and free, I presume?”

He glanced at Yeosang, who nodded. 

”I got the gem, and the High Priest thinks he got rid of me. I don’t think he has noticed anything yet”, he summarized.  
”But the others are in trouble.”

Yunho nodded, wiping his eyes quickly. 

”I thought they would be”, he said.   
”They would otherwise be back already. But there has been no one approaching the ship so far. Do you think no one has realized we anchored here?” 

”They’ve been captured”, Yeosang continued.   
”We need to get them out before they try to hang them.” 

Yunho dug through his pockets, pulling out the familiar looking box.

”Hongjoong gave this to me for now, so I could defend the ship, but I don’t think they’ll do us much good if we have to get into the city”, he said.

”You’re right”, Seonghwa confirmed.   
”In addition, the High Priest will eventually notice that he doesn’t have the gem anymore. He’s going to be furious, Yeosang. He will come after you.”

Yeosang frowned.

”With what?” he questioned.   
”He can’t order you around anymore, and several people saw me at the temple, so he’s going to be...”

He paused. Just a couple people inside the temple wasn’t enough. A couple could be threatened or bribed into keeping a secret. But if there were more...

”I have an idea.” 

Yunho and Seonghwa stared at him.

”It’s very risky”, Yeosang said slowly.   
”But I think it might work...”

”We don’t have much time”, Yunho reminded him.  
”Let’s hear it.”

Yeosang pulled out the gem once more.

”I have two questions, Seonghwa”, he started, getting a nod in return.

”Anything for you, little starfish.” 

”Do you mind... if I stay your master until we’ve rescued the others? Since that would mean I can give you an order from far away?” 

It felt a little questionable to ask such a favor, but he wouldn’t have done it if there was another way. His eyes met Seonghwa’s when the other nodded.

”I think I can accept that”, he said. Yeosang nodded.

”Thank you. That brings me to my other question...”

He looked away, towards the water and to the horizon.

”... how much control can you have over the sea?”

At sunrise, Yeosang was ready. 

Once again, he had to go alone, but this time he felt nowhere near as scared. Yunho would make sure that the ship would be ready to leave as soon as they had to, with some help from the Dead Crew. And Seonghwa…

Seonghwa would be ready to do his part as well, only waiting for Yeosang's signal. 

As he had suspected, the pearls he had given to both Hongjoong and Yeosang would come in handy. When he needed help, all he had to do was ask, and Seonghwa would know. 

He had re-armed himself at the ship with another sword and pistol, with Yunho quipping that if he was going to lose his weapons at this rate, his shares of the next loot would be used to buy new ones. And if he looked at his own track record, including the bounty hunter incident and last night, Yeosang had to agree. He was somewhat sure that he wouldn’t have to use any weapons, if everything went as planned, but he had to be prepared to defend himself, just in case. Or to sprint to help his friends. 

Now, there was only the biggest challenge left. Actually executing his plan. 

He had heard from the temple guards that the crew would be dealt with ”first thing in the morning”. And both Yunho and Seonghwa had been certain that there was no way no one wouldn’t have recognized Hongjoong as an infamous pirate captain. 

Yeosang didn’t exactly know where the city jail was. However, he did know that executions were usually held at a square that was not too far from the temple. It was also located on a little higher ground, high enough that one could watch over a lot of the city, some of the port and a lot of the sea further in the horizon. 

And while Yeosang hadn’t ever attended a single execution, he knew there would be a lot of people gathered in that square.

It felt liberating to finally walk without a hood on, displaying his hair, now tied on a neat little ponytail, making sure his face would be visible. He wondered if the High Priest would show up as well, or if he was stuck at the temple, trying to convince people that no, their Spark had  _ definitely not _ returned, alive, without completing the ritual and having joined a crew of pirates. He hoped the man would be there. 

He knew both him and Seonghwa had contemplated simply killing him, now that there sort of had been an opportunity for it. However, Yeosang had decided that he would rather see the man lose his power. He had already pushed towards that goal, by stealing the gem. Without a powerful ancient being akin to a sea god, there was little the High Priest could do to stop him or to hurt people not in his close proximity. 

Yeosang made his way upwards from the port, paying close attention to the people already outside. Quite a lot of them were buzzing, probably exchanging news about the ruckus that had gone down last night. Many of them were heading the same direction as he was, but they didn’t seem to be in a hurry, leading him to the relieving conclusion that he still had time and at least the nooses weren’t tied around his friends’ necks just yet. He took his time, making sure that he made eye contact with anyone who happened to glance at him and flashed them his sweetest smile. 

A lot of them stopped in their tracks and stared. 

A lot of people in this city, unlike elsewhere, knew his face. It was still at least somewhat fresh in their memories, from the last ceremony and celebration that was held months ago, when it was time to send him off. 

And now he had returned, from a journey he should not have returned from. 

He wondered briefly if people would immediately put two and two together, or if they thought they’d seen a ghost or a doppelganger. 

The crowd got a lot thicker as he got closer to the square. No one standing at the gallows so far, besides the executioner himself, that Yeosang could see even from afar. He would have to get close, there was no way he could do anything by shouting from the back. He had to grab people’s attention. 

He pushed into the crowd, wading among the people, pushing some of them out of the way. Some man cursed at him as he bumped into their side, but as he marched on, he found that getting all the way to the front was surprisingly easy. Finally, he could see something else than just the backs of the masses. To his disappointment, the High Priest wasn’t present, at least not for now, and Yeosang got the feeling he would not appear fashionably late either. Instead he could see a small, well guarded group of people not too far away from him, dressed in fine clothing and their faces twisted into serious expressions. In the middle, he recognized the governor, who was a graying, not very tall man he remembered seeing often visiting at the High Priest’s office. Alongside him stood a lot of other well-dressed men with their postures giving the aura of nobility. Definitely the group that would be making the decisions around here, who would know who Yeosang was and what he looked like, and whose attention Yeosang needed to pull to himself. 

Not even a minute later, he heard the sounds of the crowd get louder. That would likely only mean one thing. 

And his guess was right. Soon the sea of people parted, and a couple of guards came through, leading a line of prisoners. Five of them. At the front, he saw his captain. 

After Hongjoong came Mingi, then San and Jongho, the latter glaring at the guards. And finally, Yeosang saw Wooyoung, who was pushed forward by another guard. Yeosang frowned at the treatment. However, when Wooyoung found his balance again, his eyes found the crowd, gliding over the people jeering and shouting at them, until they stopped at Yeosang. 

Yeosang couldn’t hold back a little smile as he saw his friend’s eyes widen. He lifted a finger to his lips. This wasn’t the right moment, he had to hold on a little longer... Despite the fact that there would be no actual trial, Yeosang saw an important-looking man climb up to the gallows, talking with the executioner. Likely he would at least introduce their prisoners. No one would pass an opportunity to gloat about capturing someone with a reputation like Kim Hongjoong. 

Speaking of Hongjoong, when Yeosang finally looked away from Wooyoung and instead sought out his captain, he found the man already looking at him as well. He could see a tiny flash of surprise, before Hongjoong’s lips curved up to a triumphant, knowing smile. He knew Yeosang had succeeded. Yeosang felt his captain was a lot less worried than he was. 

As the crew walked up to the gallows, Yeosang had to bring a hand to his belt, to make sure his pistol and sword were still there. Not that he intended to use them, other than to possibly threaten someone if they tried to stop him. 

The man who had been talking to the executioner stepped forward to be seen by everyone, positioning himself right in front of Hongjoong. From his outfit, Yeosang guessed him to be the captain of the city guard. 

”Last night, our gracious city was horribly attacked. We should all be thankful to our city guard. Thanks to their quick and efficient working and them bravely defending our people, we are able to bring criminals to justice this morning.”

He paused, for dramatic effect. Yeosang cracked his knuckles. Soon, very soon would be his turn. 

”And what a surprise!” the guard captain exclaimed theatrically.   
”As it turned out, our guards managed to capture a notorious pirate captain along with his crew. Good people, I present you: the infamous Kim Hongjoong, captain of a cursed ship!”

He pointed at Hongjoong, who almost seemed to revel in the attention the announcement directed at him. As the crowd ooh-ed and gasped, he flashed a bright smile and waved with both of his tied hands. Yeosang chuckled. 

”That would be me, indeed”, Hongjoong said, getting the crowd to lower their volume the second he opened his mouth.  
”My ship isn’t cursed, though, I’m afraid you got that wrong.” 

The guard captain let out a barking, joyless laugh. 

”I see. Apparently we also got the size of your crew wrong, it seems. Unless there were more of you and they decided to abandon their captain?” he questioned, glaring at Hongjoong, who smiled back.

”Not at all, we are only missing two here, I believe”, he replied, his voice ringing loud and clear for all to hear.   
”I expect them to be readying our ship to sail as we speak. Or have our plans changed, Yeosang?”

At the last sentence he turned his face away from the man and towards Yeosang, so pointedly that everyone else followed along. It brought everyone’s eyes at him. 

Just as he had hoped. Yeosang made a mental note to thank Hongjoong later for catching on so quickly. He took a step forward, finally separating himself from the crowd. 

”Not at all”, he said, raising his voice loud enough to be heard clearly by everyone. 

”However”, he continued as he walked forward, reveling in the shocked exclaims and surprised faces of the crowd, walking up to the stage.  
”I must ask the fine people here to release my captain and my crew.”

He brushed some loose hair off of his face, making sure he would appear as recognizable as possible. And it seemed to work, as the guard captain, who now stood in front of him had his jaw dropping, and not too far away Yeosang could see the shock coloring the faces of the governor and the other nobles. 

”Is that-”

”A ghost!”

”He looks just like the Spark!”

Yeosang had to fight a smile. On his right he heard the surprised but relieved, high-pitched laughter that belonged to Wooyoung. 

”Wait, you are...” the guard captain finally found his voice again.   
”The Spark? But you were-”

”Good morning, it is a pleasure to see all of you. I never really got many chances to look at the city like this, but I’m glad to see many of you still remember my face”, Yeosang smiled serenely.   
”But as I said, I’m asking you to release captain Kim Hongjoong and the rest of the crew.” 

”Why would we do that?!” the governor suddenly shouted, stepping forward.  
”And why are you here? You’re supposed to be-”

”Dead? Oh, that did not get to happen”, Yeosang interrupted, still with a smile on his face.   
”You see, despite how well I was raised to die for the good of others, it turns out it doesn’t exactly matter whether I make a sacrifice or not. And I didn’t have time to starve to death, since I was picked up by these gentlemen and our dear High Priest couldn’t - despite his best efforts - manage to hire anyone who could actually have managed to capture or kill me so far. He even tried it last night, but even that seems to have fallen a little short.”

There were some shocked sounds rising from the crowd.

”What is he saying?”

”Has he gone mad!”

”An impostor?”

”No, he has the birthmark, it is him-”

”Did the High Priest send someone to kill him?”

”Wait, did he try to kill him himself-”

”What’s going on?”

Yeosang picked up the pearl from his pocket and brought it to his lips, letting out the smallest of whispers.

”What have you done!” one of the nobles screamed and pointed at him. Yeosang couldn’t remember his name but he knew the face: the man had been a regular visitor at the temple.   
”You have doomed us all! You’re bringing us all to ruin!”

He had been waiting for someone to say those exact words. Yeosang laughed, glancing quickly at his crew. Mingi and Jongho weren’t looking at him anymore, instead staring past him. Perfect. Meanwhile, San flashed him an encouraging smile. 

”Me living does not bring any sort of ruin, I can assure you”, Yeosang said, straightening his posture.   
”However... you not agreeing to my demands will.”

He tried his best to make himself sound menacing enough, and apparently he had succeeded, as the crowd fell almost dead silent. 

”I want my captain and my crew released, and we will be allowed to leave peacefully and not followed”, he stated.  
”Do it now, or you will face ruin.”

The governor and guard captain both scoffed, almost simultaneously.

”You come back and now feel entitled to threaten us, you brat?” the former spat. Yeosang let his smile fall, and gestured towards the direction where the sea could be seen.

”As I said, do as I ask or you will face the consequences. Look over there, please.”

He turned to see it for himself only after he was certain that the entire crowd, the governor, all the nobles and the guard captain would be looking.

They could all see it.

A massive, towering wave in the horizon, slowly approaching. 

The crowd broke into screams. 

Yeosang turned back to face the governor, smiling.

”I have the power to stop it”, he said, calm and loud, surprising himself when even the crowd seemed to still hear him. All the attention was on him.   
”So I am giving you a choice. Let a few pirates run free, or let the whole city be destroyed by that wave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, we have Yeosang doing the rescue mission instead of getting rescued! One more chapter left...
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)  
> Cc: [@Absmare](https://curiouscat.qa/Absmare)


	23. In which there are eight pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who left kudos and commented on the last chapter <33
> 
> Ohhhhhhhhh my god. We're here. We're actually here. At the final chapter. I'm-
> 
> It's literally been years since I last wrote a longer fic, let alone finished one. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll cry some more at the end notes!

It was like a staring contest, and Yeosang was not about to back down. In fact, he didn’t even feel uncomfortable in the slightest. There was something incredibly satisfying to see the conflict on the governor's face, and the fear of the giant wave was clearly winning over the stubborn desire to not give in to a runaway Spark's demands. 

Even if it wasn’t his power exactly, it felt like he could get drunk on it, for a little while. 

The governor’s face was almost drained of color and his voice was strained as he finally broke eye contact, turning to address the guard captain.

”Do as he says”, it sounded like grunting the words out was a struggle. Yeosang grinned in victory briefly, before pulling a more serious, expectant face as he turned to look at the man beside him. The guard captain looked like he’d been ordered to eat five lemons, but he nodded grudgingly, getting to work.

Yeosang had to fight to keep his laughter down as he saw the man’s expression turn even more sour when he cut the rope binding Hongjoong’s hands, and the pirate captain flashing him a cheerful smile in return. 

”Ah, thank you”, Hongjoong didn’t even try to hide his amusement.   
”Hey, Jongho? Our stocks were looking quite nice and full when we arrived, weren’t they?”

”They did, captain”, Jongho confirmed, grinning as they watched the guard captain getting even more visibly frustrated as he released Mingi and San. The latter rolled his wrists. 

”In that case all we’re missing is our weapons”, he noted.  
”We’d like them back before we go, right captain?”

”Indeed we would”, Hongjoong nodded as Jongho was released from the bonds.   
”Replacing those is such an expense and I’d like to avoid that.”

Unlike Yeosang, who was doing his best to stay calm, Wooyoung, who was released last, was openly giggling, his signature high-pitched laugh filling the entire city square. It was then that Yeosang took another look at the people that had gathered to watch them. There were so many and most faces seemed completely unfamiliar to him, but he saw them all follow closely. Some were glancing nervously at the giant wave that was still slowly approaching, some kept their eyes at Yeosang, some staring at his crew mates or the governor. 

Yeosang flashed them a smile. 

”As long as no one tries to pull any tricks, you have nothing to fear”, he assured them.   
”I have no particular desire to hurt anyone here, but I will not allow my friends to be harmed.”

Footsteps sounded beside him, Wooyoung suddenly appearing and throwing his arm around his shoulders. Yeosang could pick out some shocked looks at the casual touch. He remembered how it had been drilled to everybody’s head at the temple that physical contact with the Spark was not something to incite carelessly. Not exactly something worth punishing, but deeply frowned upon at least. Not that anyone had really tried. 

”I was wondering what kind of plan you had, but I wasn’t expecting this”, Wooyoung whispered into his ear, and Yeosang couldn’t help but smile at the awe in his voice. 

”I got some help”, he whispered back.   
”From a friendly neighborhood sea god.”

He turned to look at the guard captain as Wooyoung snickered. 

”Now”, he continued.   
”If you’d be so kind and returned these gentlemen their belongings, we can leave and you may all continue on with your day.” 

”That can be arranged”, the guard captain nearly growled.   
”Some of our men can bring them to your ship.”

”That will do”, Hongjoong agreed.   
”Now, shall we?” 

As the crew let out approving shouts, they all stepped down from the wooden stage, Yeosang going last. It was then that the governor finally seemed to find his voice again. 

”How?!”

Yeosang glanced over his shoulder at the man, who had taken a couple steps forward. Just as a precaution, he brought his hand to his sword’s handle. 

”How are you here? You were not supposed to return from the island!” the governor shouted. Yeosang raised his brows.

”I believe I already told you how”, he said calmly.   
”But if my explanation wasn’t enough, I’m sure the High Priest would love to have this conversation with you.”

He was a little disappointed he hadn’t seen the man present in the crowd. But there were others from the temple, who would go back bearing the news. 

He couldn’t wait. 

”Now, if you’d excuse me.”

True to his word, the guard captain sent some of the city guards to fetch the crew’s gear, which was handed to them as they reached the port. Yeosang watched as his friends took back what was theirs with faces so cheerful that it felt like they were mocking their former captors. 

The fact that a small crowd had followed them all the way to the port had not escaped him either. 

It would be likely that eventually some would try their luck to try and come after them. But for that they would be prepared. Yeosang noticed Hongjoong never once let slip any plans of where they would sail next. 

”Spark.”

He turned to see the guard captain, whose sour expression had slid into nervousness. Yeosang knew very well why. While the wave was slow, thanks to Seonghwa’s control over it, it had crept closer, and from the port it looked even more menacing than it had from the city square. 

”You’re going to stop it, right?” Yeosang had to bite his cheek to contain his neutral expression as the fear in the man’s voice bled through. 

”Of course”, he replied.   
”Right when me and the entire crew have reached our ship. I’m not taking any chances that you might try to stab us in the back.”

He had managed to escape last night, because the High Priest hadn’t been specific enough with his words, allowing Seonghwa to help them run away by abusing a loophole. Of course, the gem would have been his safeguard, but it reminded him that he should not trust anyone here to let them go if they weren’t threatened. 

The crowd still followed as they walked to the docks. Hongjoong hummed, satisfied, as they finally saw  _ Aurora _ .

”Well look at that”, he gestured.   
”Our first mate has been efficient. We’re basically ready to sail.”

Yeosang covered his mouth, grinning into his palm. Of course, they would save the impending talk with Seonghwa for later, but there was no doubt that the man had helped Yunho getting the ship ready. 

He followed his crew mates to the ship, not bothering to look back anymore. 

He had gotten what he wanted. Seonghwa was free from the High Priest’s control, and the man himself would be in some hot water now that so many people had seen Yeosang alive and well, and releasing pirates by threatening to sic a tsunami upon the city. If his guess was correct, the governor would not be pleased, and neither would the other priests. The word would spread.

It would no doubt attract some attention from more bounty hunters. But Yeosang couldn’t really bring himself to feel afraid in the slightest. He wouldn’t make the same mistake of getting captured twice. 

And now he would have Seonghwa beside him to help him not get captured in the first place instead of helping him escape afterward. 

Nevertheless, it felt relieving to feel the familiar wood of the deck beneath his boots. And to feel Yunho grab him into a hug. 

”You did it!” the first mate cheered.   
”I knew you could do it!”

”I barely did anything”, Yeosang let out a laugh, gesturing at the wave. He glanced quickly around, but there was no sight of Seonghwa. He quickly brought the pearl out of his pocket once more, whispering another request. 

”Nonsense!” San huffed from his side.   
”You came out stunning them all by your presence alone! You had them all speechless and they were hanging on your every word!”

”And it was _ your  _ plan”, Yunho added, ruffling his hair and messing up his ponytail. Yeosang squirmed and failed to hide his smile. What, it was nice to hear praise!

”Raise the sails!” Hongjoong had already assumed his position by the helm.   
”We’re leaving!”

As they hurried to execute the order, Yeosang looked to the horizon.

Seeing the giant wave suddenly appear and slowly creep closer had been both terrifying and mesmerizing. And just as captivating it was to see it withdraw, slowly fade farther away and grow smaller in magnitude, until eventually, there was nothing left but the regular, much less threatening waves he was used to. 

He found himself staring at the horizon even after they left the port. 

”Gather around, will you? We need to discuss some things!” Hongjoong shouted when they had sailed far enough that the city was nowhere near in sight anymore, and the sun had risen high. After dropping the anchor the whole crew gathered around the helm once again, with the exception of Seonghwa, who still was nowhere to be seen. Yeosang frowned. Was he hiding? Waiting for permission to appear?

”Now, first of all”, Hongjoong began, taking off his hat.   
”We have someone to thank for saving us, I believe. Since getting captured wasn’t exactly part of the plan.”

He looked up, straight at Yeosang.

”Thank you. I wasn’t that sure that we would make it out alive, until I saw you in the crowd.” 

”I wasn’t sure even then”, Wooyoung confessed, pulling Yeosang once more into a hug.  
”It was a really risky plan! But you made it!”

”I had help”, Yeosang insisted as the rest of the crew seemed to agree with Wooyoung, muttering their praises. 

”Indeed you did”, Hongjoong hummed with a smile.   
”This means that you have the gem, right?”

Yeosang slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the said object right there, next to the pearl. He lifted it out for everyone else to see. 

”I almost didn’t make it out of the temple”, he recounted.   
”The High Priest caught me right there at his office, but he didn’t realize I was there for the gem. He thought Seonghwa had sent me to kill him.” 

Everyone almost flocked to his hand, staring at the glistening gemstone with wide eyes. Now that he finally had the chance to look at it in daylight himself, Yeosang saw that its color was that of very striking, dark gray. Somehow it felt very fitting for Seonghwa. 

”What happened?” Jongho asked, lifting his eyes from the gem to meet Yeosang’s face as the rest continued to admire the gem.  
”How did you get out?”

”He noticed the claiming marks and got so angry”, Yeosang explained.   
”So he went to confront Seonghwa and at that point I managed to make use of the smoke bomb.”

”I told you it would come in handy”, Mingi stated, smiling proudly. Yeosang nodded and continued, summarizing his escape from the temple and the final confrontation with Seonghwa and the High Priest down at the rocks. All the way until their escape.

”Why does that sound very typical of you?” San chuckled.   
”I mean, I’ve seen you fight, Yeosang, but with both that and you coming to save us right after without having to even fire a shot...”

”Well, I learned on my very first day on this ship that intimidation works just as well, if not better”, Yeosang shrugged, glancing at Hongjoong, who grinned back. As for the High Priest, the others didn’t even bother asking. It seemed they all had understood his stance of rather seeing the man disgraced and losing his power instead of simply killing him. 

”And it certainly helps, when you have the gifts and talents of someone like Seonghwa to make use of”, Hongjoong added.  
”Speaking of, why is he not here?”

”He jumped to the water when it got time to summon that wave”, Yunho shrugged.  
”Haven’t seen him since.”

”Wait, you saw him?” Wooyoung interrupted, waving his hands dramatically.  
”How was he?”

The first mate responded with such a wicked grin that it took Yeosang by surprise. It seemed almost out of place for someone so sweet as Yunho.

”He’s quite well, especially now that he’s no longer forced to hurt anyone against his will. And, he’s absolutely terrified to face us since he’s certain we’re going to scream his face off”, he replied. That had all of the crew members looking at each other, silently pondering whether to actually go with that line of action. Hongjoong, however, was quick to break the silence. 

”I believe we should invite him back already”, he said.   
”He’s been avoiding us for way too long, don’t you think?”

The others nodded approvingly, which led to Hongjoong looking at Yeosang.

”Would you please do the honors?”

Yeosang blinked. Had Hongjoong realized that he was now kind of in control of Seonghwa? At least until he’d give the gem back. Or why was he asking?

He decided not to question it, and closed his palm around the gem, walking to the railing to look at the water.

”Seonghwa, will you come back to us?”

They got their answer in only a few seconds, when Mingi let out a surprised noise and pointed at the lower deck. They all turned to look and see the black tentacles gripping the railing. Soon they were joined by two hands as Seonghwa pulled himself up, landing on the deck. Yeosang didn’t know whether it was funny or kind of sad that he kept his face down, like he was terrified to look up and see them. 

” _ YOU! _ ”

Then again, the feeling may have been warranted, as Wooyoung strode forward, almost leaping down the stairs and rushing to Seonghwa, who at the sound had frozen in place. At least now he was looking up, but to Yeosang it looked like he was contemplating jumping right back to the sea to escape Wooyoung’s wrath. 

They all watched, as Wooyoung finally got to Seonghwa.

”You- Seonghwa!” Wooyoung nearly screeched, as he smacked Seonghwa right in the middle of his chest.   
”Idiot! How could you keep hiding from us like that!”

Right after the smack, Wooyoung proceeded to wrap himself around Seonghwa into a hug so tight Yeosang could swear he heard bones cracking. And Seonghwa did let out a noise that was somewhere between pained and surprised. 

At that moment the rest of the crew finally made a move as well, following Wooyoung down to the lower deck and to Seonghwa. Yeosang went along with them, listening as Wooyoung continued harping about how Seonghwa should have simply told them what was going on instead of pretending to be dead and how they could have helped. He was only silenced, when San tapped his shoulder.

”Take a breath, Woo”, he said calmly.   
”I think he knows by now that he’s been an idiot and will be punished for it.”

”Yeah”, Mingi agreed.   
”And quit hogging him, let us hug him too!” 

Yeosang had been on the receiving end of the group hugs by now, and he noticed that Seonghwa didn’t seem to mind them either, as he could see the tension on his shoulders practically melting off as he stood there, at that moment ruffling Jongho’s hair and finally breaking into a smile. 

”... it’s nice to see you all again”, he finally spoke.  
”I missed all of you.”

”And we missed you”, Hongjoong replied.   
”It’s good to finally see you, since you were so insistent to only show yourself to Yeosang.”

That had everyone turn their heads to look at Yeosang, who slid his hands to his pockets, shifting his weight to the other leg. He pulled out the gem once more, taking a few steps closer to Seonghwa, so they were standing face to face. 

”I have something that belongs to you”, he said.

”Aaww, are you sure that you want to return that, Sangie?” Wooyoung teased.  
”You never know when you might need it...”

”I promised”, Yeosang chuckled, taking Seonghwa’s hand and placing the gem on it. He raised his jaw a little to look at him in the eyes.  
”It’s yours, and you have no master anymore.”

Seonghwa’s hand closed around the gem, but he didn’t break eye contact. However, his corners of his mouth turned upwards. 

”Thank you”, he said.   
”However, even if you’re not my master, you should know that I have no intention of letting you go, little starfish.”

Yeosang bit his lip to hide his smile, with poor results.

”I’m not expecting you to”, he replied. 

”So this means that Yeosang is never sleeping at our quarters again...” San mumbled behind them, causing Wooyoung to giggle. And Yeosang to splutter. 

”Ah, right.”

Seonghwa finally turned away from him, to look at Hongjoong instead.

”I would like to rejoin the crew, if you’ll have me”, he said, bowing his head slightly.  
”Since I have yet to lead you to those treasures I promised.”

Hongjoong, who not even once the whole time had stopped smiling, looked at his crew.

”I have no objections”, he stated.   
”Are the rest of you in agreement? Should we welcome back our dear quartermaster?”

Six heads nodded in unison. 

”However”, Yunho added quickly.   
”Since he’s been keeping secrets and been an idiot, I believe some punishment is in order.”

All of them smirked mischievously, and even Yeosang had to join them as he saw Seonghwa gulp. 

”Oh Seonghwa”, Wooyoung chirped.   
”You’re going to be stuck in cleaning duty for a good while.”

”Is that even a punishment for him? He likes cleaning”, Jongho pointed out.

”I assure you, we’re going to be extra filthy.”

Yeosang laughed out loud at how Seonghwa’s mouth dropped open, almost as if he was offended. He didn’t protest, however, apparently agreeing that the punishment was fair. 

”Sounds good to me”, Hongjoong agreed as well, clapping Seonghwa on the shoulder.  
”Welcome back, quartermaster.”

A few hours later Yeosang did find Seonghwa indeed cleaning up the deck, and from the first look he could see that it was being done with way more care than he himself had ever bothered to put in it. Either Seonghwa was a very thorough cleaner in the first place, or he was scared of more punishment if everything wasn’t absolutely spotless. 

Said man lifted his head to look at him as he heard him approaching.

”Did you come to supervise me?” he joked. Yeosang huffed, amused.

”Perhaps”, he shrugged.  
”Or maybe I just wanted to see you after being stuck in the armory for so long.”

They had been taking inventory and rearranging their weapons once more, with Mingi jokingly bemoaning the fact that they would soon have to buy several swords and daggers in advance for each one Yeosang had managed to lose (there were only two!). 

”Oh, you missed me so quickly? I’m honored, little starfish.”

”Well I finally get the chance to actually spend time with you”, Yeosang pointed out.  
”Without any pressing threat upon us. For now, at least.”

While he felt victorious, he knew that the High Priest wouldn’t give up, even if he were ousted. They would still be hunted. But he was prepared for that. And now, at least, none of those hunters would have no chance against them. Of that he was sure. 

And really, how was dealing with a couple of bounty hunters any different from the life of a regular pirate? They just had a more advantageous position against anyone who tried to capture or kill them. 

”In that case, I believe we have all the time in the world.” 

Seonghwa had finally abandoned the mop and slipped closer, his hand had risen to caress Yeosang’s face. He leaned into it, welcoming the affectionate gesture.

”I’m going to give you all the treasures of the sea we can get our hands on, little starfish”, Seonghwa professed, pulling him close.  
”I’ll show you the most beautiful sights, the most exciting adventures, whatever you want..”

Yeosang leaned up to plant a kiss on his lips. 

”Just you would be enough”, he answered.   
”But an adventure sounds nice too.”

”Even though I said it myself, I didn’t expect that to be the one you’d choose”, Seonghwa admitted, chuckling as he pressed another kiss to the corner of his mouth.   
”And you already have me.”

”I do”, Yeosang nodded.   
”And while I’ve already been on several adventures since I joined the crew... I think it’s going to be even more exciting now that you’re here with me.”

They smiled at each other.

”I moved some of the maps to my cabin, so should we go have a look?” Seonghwa suggested.  
”To find that excitement?”

Yeosang nodded, linking their hands together.

”I’d like that.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a journey. Thank you thank you thank youthankyouthankyou everyone for reading this! The response I've gotten from you has been so positive and it has truly made me so incredibly happy and motivated me to write more, thank you so much <333 Thank you everyone who read, who left kudos, who bookmarked, who left comments, I'm so happy you've enjoyed Undrowned <3
> 
> I have some new fic ideas in the works, but those will likely have to wait for a little while, as I'm trying to prioritize my studies for now. But I promise I'll be back with something else eventually!
> 
> Once again, thank you all <3 I hope you all stay safe and healthy! Thank you <3


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